GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Court documents have revealed new information about a crash in Goodyear that left two bicyclists dead and injured more than a dozen others. Police said the suspect in the crash drove for hundreds of feet after initially hitting a roadway barrier.
Multiple bicyclists suffered severe injuries, and two people were killed after the pickup truck crashed into the group of cyclists, according to the Goodyear Police Department. Those two people have been identified as 61-year-old Karen Malisa of Goodyear and 65-year-old David Kero of Michigan.
The driver was identified as 26-year-old Pedro Quintana-Lujan He was booked into a Maricopa County jail facing two counts of manslaughter, three counts of aggravated assault, 18 counts of endangerment, and two counts of causing serious injury or death by a moving violation.
According to a booking statement from police, Quintana-Lujan claimed that his steering had locked and his vehicle began drifting to the right. He allegedly let off the gas when he heard a metallic sound, and regained steering before turning left and stopping in the middle of the bridge.
Police said he struck the barrier wall on the side of the bridge and traveled for roughly 520 feet before finally coming to a stop. Documents show that he'd only braked for the final 87 feet.
There were "no signs on scene of any evasive action taken after striking the jersey barrier with no braking, tire marks, gouges, or skidding from the vehicle to show an attempt to avoid more hazards," according to the report.
Quintana-Lujan didn't show signs of impairment immediately after the crash but reportedly told police that he'd shared marijuana with his wife around 11 hours before the crash.
Authorities are still awaiting the results of a blood test at the time of publication.
Multiple bikes were broken into pieces, and the truck "had clothing affixed to the undercarriage of the exhaust as well as several pieces of garments lodged in the rear axle u-joint."
An officer on the scene reported that the steering rack of the truck was intact, all bolts and nuts appeared to be secured, and all of the major frame elements of the vehicle were in place with no damage.
The crash happened early Saturday morning near the Cotton Lane Bridge over MC85 in Goodyear. Quintana-Lujan was driving southbound on the bridge when he struck the group of 20 cyclists.
"There is no indication that this was an intentional act or anything other than an isolated incident," said Goodyear Police Chief Santiago Rodriguez.
Authorities said 11 other cyclists were hospitalized following the incident, and one remains in the hospital in critical condition.
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12News spoke with Goodyear Police, who had this message.
The circumstances of the crash are currently under investigation, and Cotton Lane is closed in both directions from Estrella Parkway to MC85.
Bicyclists have the same right of ways to the roads as vehicles. By law drivers must give at least three feet of space to cyclists but five feet is recommended.
More information about bike laws in Arizona is below:
This is a developing story. Stay with 12News for more updates.
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