Police say a driver in a pickup truck ran into bicyclists competing in a community road race in Show Low on Saturday, critically injuring several riders.
The suspect was chased down and shot outside a nearby hardware store, police say. He was hospitalized in critical but stable condition.
The crash took place during an annual cycling event called “Bike the Bluff.”
“We have six victims that were transported to Summit Healthcare in Show Low. Of those six victims, four are in critical condition and two are in critical but stable condition,” said Show Low Police Department spokeswoman Kristine Sleighter.
Sleighter says at least two others involved in the crash transported themselves to an area hospital, and one victim was airlifted to a hospital in the Valley. Of the seven, six remain in critical condition as of Sunday afternoon.
The crash investigation is ongoing, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety has been brought in to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting of the suspect by police.
Tony Quinones, who participated in the cycling event, provided witness testimony of the crash.
He says he initially thought the driver fell asleep at the wheel, but claims he then saw the man accelerate towards the cyclists.
After the driver hit a telephone pole, cyclists ran up to the truck and started pounding on the windows, screaming at the driver to get out.
Instead of stopping, Quinones said the driver hit the accelerator and backed out, made a U-turn and then headed back toward the cyclists, but did not hit them again, and drove away.
