Campervan driver faces $500 fine for ploughing into group of cyclists, injuring seven, in “terrifying” collision

A campervan driver who ploughed into a group of cyclists in a shockingly violent collision, injuring seven and hospitalising four, could face a fine of up to $500 for “failing to give cyclists enough room while passing”, as one victim questioned whether the crash was, in fact, an “accident” and called on “pissed-off motorists” to see the “human element” of cyclists on the road.

Local councillors and activists have also called for safer cycling infrastructure to be introduced in the wake of the horrifying collision, which took place on Saturday morning during a weekly group ride on Lake Mary Road, a popular route for cyclists near Flagstaff, Arizona.

Footage of the crash, which has been shared on social media, shows the cyclists riding on the edge of Lake Mary Road – with most of the group riding on painted bike lane – when the driver of a campervan slams into one of the riders, launching him into the air and flinging him across into the rest of the group, causing most of them to crash heavily.

Flagstaff Arizona group ride was hit by an RV leaving cyclist with broken bones, road rash, and concussion. Help support the cyclist that were hit and sent to the hospital. https://t.co/JX2vVMB1SH pic.twitter.com/GF1lK5ZdU8

— Matthew McElroy (@MattMcElroy9) August 29, 2023

“I just felt the impact and then I was rolling on the ground for a while,” Dane Wallace, the rider who was struck by the motorist initially, told Arizona’s Family.

“It’s just terrifying. I mean, these people are like family. You ride with them every week. My partner was on the ride as well and she crashed right behind me. So your first thought is just like is everyone okay?”

Three riders injured in the pile-up were immediately taken to hospital. According to a Go Fund Me page set up to raise funds to cover medical and legal bills, one cyclist required surgery for a broken collarbone and ligament damage, as well as suffering concussion to the extent that they “couldn’t recall the date or month”.

Another rider suffered a fractured collarbone and concussion, while a third sustained a possible broken kneecap and tendon damage. Wallace, meanwhile, is set to undergo surgery today on multiple shoulder blade fractures and spinal injuries. Several other riders sustained road rash in the fall, along with minor injuries.

The campervan driver, who pulled in shortly after the collision, was not detained by police but has since been cited for failing to give cyclists enough room while passing, Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Lt Adam Simonsen said.

The citation is a civil violation and carries a fine of up to $500 (just under £400). Simonsen added that there was no evidence that the driver had broken any other laws or that he was under the influence at the time of the crash.

The police officer also said that Lake Mary Road – a route heavily used by both cyclists and runners – is not viewed as particularly dangerous, though he did note that the office often receives reports from cyclists concerning close passes, while motorists have also complained about cyclists “taking up too much of the road”.

“Stop, stop, stop, they’ve all been hit”

One of the riders involved in the crash, Kyle Horneck, a local bike shop owner and member of the Pay-N-Take racing team, told the Arizona Daily Sun that he has struggled to process the collision and its aftermath.

“I bounce back and forth between trying to make sense of it, put myself in everyone’s shoes and just trying to operate from a place of how can I be helpful,” he said.

“I’m less concerned about punishment for the driver, just more concerned with the diagnosis and prognosis of my friends and teammates.”

Describing the crash, Hornbeck said: “We’re coming down a decline. We call it the steps, that's like the slang for that area. When you're climbing it, it’s the steps and it’s really hard. And it’s an incline and it’s just a really good challenge.

“When you’re coming down, you’re going 30 to 45 miles an hour, depending on what part of it is. So you’re almost keeping up with traffic there. We stay in the bike lane or as close to it as we can, riding side by side as we typically do, two abreast.

“The rest of the group is behind us and a little compact. And from my perspective, what went down was a [vehicle] screamed past us and then a fender, a piece of his wheel well, flipped up and brushed against the guy I was riding with. And we start hearing, ‘Stop, stop, stop, they’ve all been hit.’”

“It’s very easy for a pissed-off motorist to take the human element out of the cyclist”

The cyclist added that, having now seen the footage which has circulated on social media, he remains unsure about that exact nature of the collision.

“After seeing the video, it just seemed like less of an accident,” he said. “Then again, maybe it could have been. But again, that video is now in the public domain on Instagram. So people can make of it what they want.

“I’m not really trying to be an activist. It’s just good to let people know that regardless of what you think of cyclists or where we should and shouldn’t be riding, we do have a right to be out there and if you pass us, you’ve got to do so in a certain way.

“It's very easy for a pissed-off motorist to take the human element out of the cyclist and the cyclist’s existence there in the bike lane, because it's just something in the road as you pass them doing maybe twice their speed.

“And I just think continued visibility for cyclists in the community, knowing that they’ve got a legal right to be there, and that we do belong on the road. That’s a really easy, simple place to start.”

Hornbeck’s comments were echoed by his teammate Wallace, who said: “I think it’s just a sad point that when we get behind the wheel of a car, we don’t see our fellow humans out there as someone who has someone to go home to after the ride.”

The incident has also spurred local councillors and cycling activists to demand safer infrastructure for cyclists in the area.

“This is a very challenging time for the community, and a time where the community is grieving once again from an incident where cyclists are in danger,” Adam Shimoni, a former councillor for Flagstaff – where one cyclist was killed and several others seriously injured when a motorist drove through a junction and into a bike lane in 2021 – said this week.

“Those of us who are on our bikes and travel by foot are extremely vulnerable and at risk, and it's concerning. It’s a problem and it needs to be addressed by the city and the county.”

In a statement, the county council said they have worked in recent years to improve safety conditions on Lake Mary Road for cyclists and runners.

“With the support of the Federal Highway Administration, the county has invested funds in this corridor increasing the width of shoulders for runners and cyclists, as well as improvements to the roadway surface, and increased maintenance such as sweeping the shoulders to remove cinders and other debris,” the statement said.

“This past summer, Lake Mary Road has undergone routine maintenance including resurfacing portions of the roadway, crack filling, shoulder sweeping, and roadside drainage maintenance.”

> Promising teenage cyclist killed after being hit by driver just days before World Championships

The shocking incident in Arizona comes just a month after a promising 17-year-old cyclist was killed after being struck by a motorist while riding on the hard shoulder in nearby Colorado.

Rising star Magnus White, who was due to represent the United States at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Scotland, was hit from behind by the driver as he used the hard shoulder of a highway popular with local riders.

It has been reported the route is so popular with bike riders there has been talk of building a separate bike lane. In the absence of such infrastructure, White was instead riding on the southbound hard shoulder of the highway when he was hit from behind by the driver of a Toyota Matrix. The authorities say there is no indication that drugs, alcohol, or excessive speed were involved.