GOODYEAR, AZ — The Valley cycling community has seen tragedy after tragedy involving their own getting hit by cars. Another crash happened on Saturday morning, where Goodyear Police say 26-year-old Pedro Quintana-Lujan allegedly drove the pickup truck that hit a group of cyclists.
Police say two people died and 11 others were hurt in the crash. One woman died at the scene while a man later died at the hospital. Officials have not yet released how the crash happened or answered questions on whether Quintana-Lujan may have been impaired or distracted.
When the crash happened on Saturday morning near MC85 and Cotton Lane, two separate cyclists were on rides in other parts of the Valley.
Nuria Gamboa said she was riding her bike in Cave Creek when the crash in Goodyear happened.
“When I was done with my ride, I had about 55 messages from people wondering if I was on the ride. My husband had gotten phone calls,” she said. “It really shook me hard because it can happen to any of us. It's made me really sad.”
Gamboa knew some of the victims hit in the crash. She used to ride with the group, which is known as the West Valley Cycling group.
She said sometimes she doesn't feel safe while riding her own bike, adding that she’s had instances where people would intimidate her or just drive carelessly right next to her.
It is legal for bicycles to ride in traffic lanes. Arizona law requires drivers to give at least a three-feet distance between the cyclist and the car.
“This is very devastating, in general. It just wasn't necessary. It just wasn't necessary,” Gamboa said.
Kim Rendek, who was on her own group ride in Ahwatukee, heard about the devastating news about the crash, too. She said the crash caused a ripple effect across the cycling community.
“It's just a constant reminder that we need cycling infrastructure. We need safety measures in place so that we can all be able to enjoy our ride without risk of serious injury or death. This is unacceptable,” she said.
While the suspect in the Goodyear crash is in jail, those in the cycling community want harsher punishments for people who hit bicyclists, especially if the rider is killed.
Gamboa refers to the Rob Dollar crash, in which a foundation was created in the cyclist’s name. Dollar was riding down South Mountain when he was hit and killed more than five years ago. The driver was under the influence and she ended up getting three years in jail.
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Rendek is part of the board of the Rob Dollar Foundation, which aims to help spread awareness and safety tips for cyclists and motorists.
“It's just too much. Anytime this happened, it's one too many tragedies,” Rendek added.
Goodyear Police say Quintana-Lujan is facing a slew of charges including two counts of manslaughter, three charges of aggravated assault, 18 counts of endangerment, and two counts of causing serious injury or death by a moving violation.
Officials have not released the names of those who died in this crash, but family told ABC15 that one of the victims was 61-year-old Karen Malisa.
The family released a statement saying: "The community grieves the loss of a teacher, leader, and dear friend from a horrific accident yesterday. As you can imagine it’s heartbreaking. Karen’s Laugh, Smile and Endless energy will be missed by everyone who had the honor of calling her our friend."
Malisa was reportedly a retired teacher from Litchfield Elementary School District.
