Seven Cyclists Were Hit by a Driver During Bike the Bluff in Arizona
Seven cyclists were hospitalized in critical condition on June 19 in Show Low, Arizona, after being hit by a man driving a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
The driver has been identified by police as Shawn Michael Chock, 35, of White Mountain Lakes.
Chock fled the scene in his truck, and was later shot and apprehended by police.
On June 19, a large group of cyclists were struck by a black Ford F-150 pickup truck around 7:25a.m. on the 1500 block of E. Deuce of Clubs in Show Low, Arizona, according to a press release from the Show Low Police Department. The cyclists were competing in the 58-mile Bike the Bluff Arizona State Championship road race, in the 55+ age category.
The truck driver fled the scene, and police pursued him to the nearby area of South 3rd Drive and West Oliver, where he was shot and apprehended.
Seven of the injured cyclists were transported to various medical centers in the region. On June 20, the police reported that three are in critical condition at Flagstaff Medical Center, one of whom was airlifted from the scene; one is in critical condition at University Medical Center of New Mexico; two are in critical condition at Banner Medical Center-Phoenix; and one is in stable condition at Summit Healthcare.
Police have identified the driver as Shawn Michael Chock, 35, of White Mountain Lakes. Chock was also transported to a medical center in critical condition. As reported by ABC15, Chock pled guilty to an aggravated DUI charges in 2010 and 2013.
The criminal investigation is now being handled by the Arizona Department of Public Safety. A department representative told Bicycling that, as of June 22, Chock and “the most critically injured” cyclists remain hospitalized.
As reported by The New York Times, witness Tony Quinones and his fellow cyclists were roughly a mile and a half into the race when the oncoming truck swerved across three lanes and plowed straight into the group just ahead of him. The driver then hit a utility pole.
“He drove his truck directly and intentionally into our group, and you could hear him accelerate until he hit that telephone pole,” Quinones told The New York Times.
Two additional cyclists who were injured were admitted to regional hospitals as walk-ins.
“From the time this thing happened until the time they got me to the hospital in Show Low, I don’t remember a single thing,” Kurt Kroemer, one of the cyclists hospitalized in critical condition, told ABC15. “When this guy hit us, all 35 [cyclists] were within 20 feet of one another.”
Kroemer had surgery on his hand Sunday and surgery on his ankle Monday. He also has two broken bones in his neck. “I’m really concerned about everybody else,” Kroemer said. “I don’t know what’s happened to them. But I’m going to be fine.”
“Like many of you, we’re still attempting to come to terms with the horrific incident that occurred Saturday during the Bike the Bluff Arizona State Cycling Championship. Our hearts and our thoughts are with the victims and their families,” race organizer BlueWolf Events said in a statement on Facebook. “It’s a miracle that there were no fatalities, but many of the victims will face a long and arduous recovery process.”
A GoFundMe has been organized to raise money for the cyclists who were injured and their families. You can donate here.
You Might Also Like
