Two bicyclists on Make-A-Wish tour dead after ‘mass-casualty incident’ in Ionia County

Bryce Airgood, Lansing State Journal
·2 min read
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Two cyclists are dead after a crash in Ionia County July 30, 2022.
Two cyclists are dead after a crash in Ionia County July 30, 2022.

RONALD TWP. — Two bicyclists participating in a Make-A-Wish fundraising event are dead after an SUV crashed into them and three other cyclists Saturday morning in Ionia County.

Ionia County Central Dispatch received a 911 call at 11:15 a.m. about a car running into a group of bicyclists in the 3000 block of Stage Road in Ronald Township, according to an Ionia County Sheriff’s Office press release.

When responders arrived on scene, they immediately discovered a “vehicular mass-casualty incident,” the release states.

Investigation determined five southbound bicyclists were struck on Stage Road by a northbound SUV that crossed the center line into southbound traffic while trying to pass another vehicle, according to the release.

The impact critically injured all the bicyclists. One cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Another was flown by AeroMed to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, but also died from his injuries, the release states.

Two other bicyclists were transported by LIFE EMS to Sparrow Ionia Hospital and another was transported to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital. All three of the surviving cyclists sustained severe injuries, according to the release.

The SUV driver was evaluated and arrested for two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and lodged in Ionia County Jail after receiving medical treatment. The driver’s name will not be released pending formal charges and arraignment, according to the sheriff’s office.

No further information will be released until at least the first of the week, Ionia County Sheriff’s Office Detective Sgt. Phillip Hesche said in an email Saturday night.

All five bicyclists were men from Michigan’s east side, the release states.

The cyclists were participating in the Make-A-Wish Michigan Wish-A-Mile Bicycle Tour, a three-day endurance ride covering most of Michigan, according to the release.

According to the charity’s website, the tour helps make transformational wishes come true for Michigan children battling critical illnesses.

Contact Bryce Airgood at 517-267-0448 or bairgood@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @bairgood123.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Two bicyclists dead after ‘mass-casualty incident’ in Ionia County