Police in Arizona said a man driving a pickup truck struck multiple bicyclists Saturday during the annual Bike the Bluff race, fled the scene in his vehicle and was shot a few miles away.
Several victims and the suspect were hospitalized afterward in critical condition, the Show Low Police Department said in a news release. Authorities did not immediately disclose the names of any individuals involved.
Police said the bicyclists were struck at roughly 7:25 a.m. during Bike the Bluff, a 58-mile race that was scheduled to both start and end near where authorities said the morning collision occurred.
“Officers attempted to stop the suspect which ultimately led to the suspect being shot,” the Show Low Police Department said in the news release.
It was not immediately clear what happened prior to the collision or who shot the suspect. City, county and state police would be involved with the investigation, the news release said.
Police said six victims and the suspect were transported to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Another two or three victims were said to be in stable condition, according to the police department.
Show Low is located in Navajo County, roughly 180 miles northeast of Phoenix, and has nearly 12,000 residents within its city limits, according to its website.
“Our community is shocked at this incident and our hearts and prayers are with the injured and their families,” the Show Low Police Department said in the news release.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety, a state agency, has been asked to conduct the shooting investigation, the city’s police department said in the news release.
Bike the Bluff describes itself online as a state championship road race. This year’s event is its 13th annual competition and is benefiting a local inter-denominational Christian school, per its website.
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