Thursday, July 14, 2016

BICYCLISTS CONTINUE TO DIE: 1 cyclist killed, 1 critically injured after vehicle crashes onto a group of cyclists in Idaho Falls, ID



By: The Associated Press



Updated: Jul 14, 2016 10:30 AM MDT


IONA, Idaho - Authorities say one cyclist died and another was critically injured after a vehicle collided with them while they were riding in a group in the Idaho Falls area.

Bonneville County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Bryan Lovell said in a news release that authorities responded to the crash Wednesday evening on Highway 26.

Lovell says a 33-year-old Idaho Falls woman was driving a vehicle west when she hit two women riding in the same direction.

Authorities say one of the bicyclists, a 22-year-old woman from Virginia, was pronounced dead at a hospital. The other, a 25-year-old Michigan woman, was in the hospital in critical condition.

The driver was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The bicyclists were part of an out-of-state group riding across the country.

Authorities are investigating.


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The following is a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office Deputies are still investigating the cause of this crash. The group of approximately 22 cyclists were traveling across the country from the Virginia area to Oregon raising money for a non-profit cause. The name of the cause or group is not available to the Sheriff’s Office at this time.

One cyclist that was transported by ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center (EIRMC) suffered fatal injuries. That female victim was Ann Davis, 22 years of age, from Virginia. The other female cyclist victim was Laura Stark, 25 years of age from Michigan, and is in critical condition still being treated at EIRMC. Davis and Stark were both wearing bicycle helmets at the time of the crash.

The driver of the vehicle, a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, was Patricia Beyer, 33 years of age from Idaho Falls. Beyer was also transported by ambulance to EIRMC where she was treated and released for minor injuries.

There were no other passengers in Beyer’s vehicle and no other injuries to cyclists reported. In addition the Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the motorists who stopped to help, some of whom were doctors and nurses, for their quick action and assistance in treating victims until Emergency Personnel arrived. 


UPDATE:

The following correction has been issued by the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

“Information was previously incorrectly released regarding the 2 injured bicyclists. The 22 year old female from Virginia was deceased due to injuries from the crash, the 25 year old female victim from Michigan is currently in EIRMC being treated for critical injuries received in the crashed.

We apologize for incorrectly listing the conditions of the two victims.” 


ORIGINAL STORY

The following is a news release from the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office.

IDAHO FALLS — Bonneville County Sheriff deputies are investigating a fatal vehicle versus bicycle crash on U.S. Highway 26 near 75th East.

The crash occurred at about 6:20 p.m. Wednesday.

Sheriff deputies say a west bound vehicle collided with two bicyclists traveling in a group, also traveling west bound. Witnesses and other motorists had stopped and were administering first aid on the two bicyclists as rescue personnel arrived.

Both of the bicyclists were transported by Idaho Falls Ambulances to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

One of the bicyclists, a 25 year old female from Michigan, was deceased at the hospital. The other, a 22 year old female from Virginia, is still in critical condition.

The driver of the vehicle, a 33 year old female from Idaho Falls, was also transported to EIRMC with non-life threatening injuries.

Deputies are still investigating the cause of the crash and names of those involved are not being released at this time pending family notification. The bicyclists were part of an out of state group riding across country.

This is all of the information available at this time.