The injured cyclists are Paul D. Gobble, 47, of Richland; Sheila D. Jeske, 53, of Richland; Jennifer L. Johnson, 40, of Kalamazoo, and Paul L. Runnels, 65, of Richland.
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Kalamazoo County prosecutors said the second-degree murder charge is somewhat unusual, but they believe the charges are appropriate considering the evidence they say they have about the Pickett’s alleged actions leading up to the incident. They were five miles into a weekly 30-mile ride when they were struck from behind on a road in the western MI countryside.
Charles Pickett Jr. faces five counts of second-degree murder for allegedly plowing into a group of cyclists, five of whom died at the scene.
The cyclists were members of a group, dubbed “The Chain Gang”, that made regular rides every Tuesday evening. They were 8km into a weekly 48km ride when they were struck from behind near a park.
Killed in the crash were Debra Bradley, 53, Melissa Fevig-Hughes, 42, Fred Nelson, 73, Lorenz Paulik, 74, and Suzanne Sippel, 56.
Authorities said they received at least three calls from people who witnesses the blue pick-up truck driving erratically before the crash occurred.
Getting declined to give specifics on Pickett’s condition or say where he is hospitalized.
“As members of the Kalamazoo community we have all been dealt a devastating blow by the deaths and injuries of so many innocent people”, Getting said.
Five were killed and four injured in the Tuesday crash.
“There’s been some speculation about, first, that he was drunk, second that there was something else in his system, third, now nothing at all is in his system”, Getting said of Pickett. Court records show he was charged, but the DUI charge was later dismissed in August 2011. Five were killed following the Tuesday collision.
‘Unfortunately, Michigan still worships the automobile and not everyone is yet comfortable with sharing the road with cyclists, ‘ said Ethan Alexander, founder of the Kalamazoo-based group Open Roads.
He added: “I think there’s this unity among the sport”.
Bob Coffman, who said the force of the crash sent one of the victims’ bicycles into his yard, placed the small wooden cross at the scene. Dalton is accused of murdering six people in a February 20 shooting rampage in the Kalamazoo area. Jason Dalton, 45, had been picking up riders for Uber at the time of the shootings. His attorney told a judge Monday that Dalton is expected to enter an insanity plea.
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50, of Battle Creek, appeared via video arraignment in Kalamazoo District Court Friday afternoon.
