GOODYEAR, AZ — A West Valley cycling community is mourning the loss of two of their own as many recover from being hit by a pickup truck on Saturday.
Two days later, the victims who survived the crash spoke to ABC15 about the incident and say it "destroyed" their lives.
“I’ve ridden that hundreds of times. The reason I ride is so I can be here for my grandchildren. It’s for my health,” Cheryl Herzog said emotionally.
Herzog's life was almost cut short Saturday when a pickup truck rammed into the group on the Cotton Lane bridge just south of MC 85. She was one of 20 people riding that day.
Police said 19 people ended up getting hit, with 11 going to the hospital and two dying. Herzog ended up going to the hospital with a concussion but was released later that day.
The group that rode on Saturday is one of three parts of the West Valley Cycling group.
David Herzog, Cheryl’s husband, created the group 21 years ago. On the day of the crash, David told ABC15 he was at another event.
“My friend called me and said, 'you need to come over here immediately,' and I kind of dismissed it a little bit until he FaceTimed me and showed me the damage and carnage of bikes,” he said.
Photos and videos of the scene showed bikes and debris all across the bridge. The front of the pickup truck was also damaged in the crash.
The Herzogs say they generally feel safe on that route; that’s why they picked it. However, Saturday showed otherwise.
Police later arrested 26-year-old Pedro Quintana-Lujan on more than 20 charges including two manslaughter counts.
According to court documents, Quintana-Lujan told police "his steering was locked" but police are still looking into the details of how the crash happened.
Quintana-Lujan also told investigators that he smoked marijuana 11 hours before the crash, too, according to court documents. Police took blood samples and are waiting for the results, which could take weeks.
“I would just say to pray for this young man. Because he’s destroyed his life and the life of his children and his wife. And so many of our lives are now destroyed. I don’t know how you live with that. My heart is breaking for him. And I do not know why he did what he did. Just devastating,” Herzog said.
Now, the West Valley Cycling group is left mourning and waiting for their other friends to recover as they’re pushing for drivers to be safe on the roads and be aware of cyclists.
“Please have respect for human life. You have a steel car around you and we don’t. We’re so vulnerable,” Herzog said.
Police also released the names of those who died in the crash on Saturday.
David Kero, 65, was visiting from Michigan when he went on the ride with the group. He later died at the hospital.
Officials identified the other victim as 61-year-old Karen Malisa. Her friends say she was a former teacher from Goodyear.
“She’s an amazing person. Lots of laughter, lots of life and she’ll be missed,” said Steven Rhone, who was also hit in the crash Saturday.
The family sent ABC15 a statement:
“The community grieves the loss of a teacher, leader, and dear friend from a horrific accident. 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. Karen is a retired school teacher from Litchfield Elementary School District. She was loved, and her students, co-workers friends, and family are devastated.”
Since the crash, there’s been an outpouring of support for the victims. The Herzogs would like to thank the community for their help and support in this difficult time.
David also created a GoFundMe to help give money to all the victims of the crash. You can find that here.
