An Arizona driver has been charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault after he crashed into a group of cyclists on Saturday, killing two and injuring 11 others.
One of the injured cyclists remained in critical condition with life-threatening injuries on Sunday, AZFamily.com reported. Police said one of the fatalities was a resident of Goodyear, the Phoenix suburb where the incident took place. The other was visiting from out of state.
Goodyear Police arrested & booked into jail the driver of vehicle, 26 y/o Pedro Quintana Lujanbe. Goodyear Police department is deeply saddened by this tragedy & extends condolences to the loved ones of the victims as well as to the cycling community & the community as a whole. pic.twitter.com/ZTRu2SYiv9
— Goodyear Police Dept (@Goodyearpolice) February 26, 2023
Police said they were called to the scene just before 8 a.m. for a “very serious crash” after a pickup truck struck the cyclists on the Cotton Lane Bridge in Goodyear.
Police said a woman was pronounced dead at the scene and a man died at the hospital. The 11 injured were taken to three different hospitals with “various injuries,” according to police.
Pedro Quintana-Lujan, the 26-year-old driver of the truck, remained at the scene after the crash and was arrested after questioning. He’s being held in the Maricopa County Jail on a $250,000 bond pending a hearing on Friday.
Goodyear police said Quintana-Lujan was charged with two counts of manslaughter, three counts of aggravated assault, 18 counts of endangerment, and two counts of causing serious injury or death during a moving violation. Investiators have not said what the moving violation was, and they did not indicate whether they believe Quintana-Lujan intentionally drove into the cyclists.
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[Featured image: Pedro Quintana-Lujan/Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office]
