Five bicyclists are struck and killed by a pickup in western Michigan; suspected driver arrested

Police arrested the driver of a pickup who was reported to be driving erratically minutes before his truck struck a group of bicyclists, killing five, on a street in western Michigan, a prosecutor said Tuesday night.

Four other bicyclists suffered serious injuries in the collision in Cooper Township, south of Grand Rapids, and were being treated at area hospitals. None of the victims was a child, as was earlier reported.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims,” Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting said during a news conference at the Kalamazoo Township Police Department. “I can’t even begin to imagine what they’re going through.”

The driver of the pickup, described as a 50-year-old western Michigan man, fled from the wrecked vehicle and police caught him a short time later, officials said. No charges have yet been filed, but could come by Thursday, Getting said.

Police with several local agencies had been alerted about concerns over the motorist’s driving, Getting said. There was no active pursuit at the time of the accident, he said.

The bicyclists were riding as a group. Their names and ages were not immediately released.

Paramedics and fire crews rushed to the scene near a park within minutes of the bicyclists being hit, Getting said.

Markus Eberhard was leaving the park after fishing and said he was nearly was hit by the pickup. He was unable to warn the bicyclists.

“I saw a bunch of bikes hit the front of his truck and a couple of them flew,” Eberhard told WOOD-TV.

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