Gov. Snyder: Bicyclist Deaths A 'Senseless Tragedy'
COOPER TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WWJ/AP) - Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder says a crash that killed five bicyclists near a western Michigan park is a senseless tragedy.
Snyder said in a statement Wednesday that his "thoughts and prayers are with the people of Kalamazoo and particularly the cyclists and their families."
"What we already know for certain is that Michiganders as a family are in mourning today as Kalamazoo struggles to understand another senseless tragedy," he said.
State police have been called to assist in the investigation and will provide all resources possible, Snyder added.
The suspect, described as a 50-year-old from western Michigan, remains in custody and could be charged in the case by Thursday.
[5 Dead, 4 Injured After Vehicle Hits Bicyclists In Michigan]
Authorities say they were searching for the man, who was driving of a blue pickup truck, in the minutes before he plowed into a group of adults bicycling near a park in Cooper Township.
Kalamazoo Prosecutor Jeffrey Getting said at a news conference Tuesday night that five of the nine bicyclists struck were pronounced dead at the scene, while four others were seriously injured.
Getting said members of the public placed calls to several area agencies "over concerns" about the pickup driver's driving. He says authorities were searching for the driver, but there was no active pursuit at the time of the accident.
The bicyclists had been riding as a group. Their names and ages were not immediately released because family members were still being notified. The group included men and women, but no children.
The suspect fled from the wrecked vehicle, but police caught him a short time later.
Cooper Township is just miles from Kalamazoo. The area still is dealing with the random fatal shootings of six people and wounding of two others in February. Jason Dalton, 45, had been picking up riders for Uber at the time of the shootings. He is charged with murder and attempted murder. His attorney told a judge Monday that Dalton is expected to plead insanity in his defense.
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