Bicyclists identified in deadly Michigan crash
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A nurse and a field researcher were among the five people killed and four injured when a pickup truck plowed into a group of bicyclists on a rural road north of here Tuesday night.
Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting released the names of the victims Wednesday afternoon, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer.
The dead are Debra Ann Bradley, 53, of Augusta; Melissa Ann Fevig-Hughes, 42, of Augusta; Fred Anton (Tony) Nelson, 73, of Kalamazoo; Lorenz John (Larry) Paulik, 74, of Kalamazoo; and Suzanne Joan Sippel, 56, of Augusta.
The four who were injured were taken to Bronson Methodist Hospital and Borgess Medical Center, both in Kalamazoo. They are Paul Douglas Gobble, 47, of Richland; Sheila Diane Jeske, 53, of Richland; Jennifer Lynn Johnson, 40 of Kalamazoo; and Paul Lewis Runnels, 65, of Richland.
Gobble, Jeske and Runnels are in serious condition and Johnson is listed in fair condition, Getting said.
After driving through the group of bicyclists Tuesday on a two-lane road north of Kalamazoo, the pickup truck looked "like it hit a brick wall," a neighbor said.
"The hood was folded up to about the middle of the hood," said Bob Coffman, 68, who lives across North Westnedge Avenue from the crash scene in Cooper Township, Mich. "I could see the bikes down there in the road, in pieces."
He said Wednesday that he didn't witness the crash, but he was home and helped the police search for a possible body. A bicycle with a back wheel "all busted and bent" had landed by a rock in his front yard, dozens of yards from the crash scene. They were concerned someone may have been ejected into the nearby foliage, but they didn't find anyone in his yard.
Police said the pickup driver, a 50-year-old west Michigan resident, was in custody and a decision on possible charges probably would come Thursday.
The five victims died at the scene, police said.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder on Wednesday issued a statement about the crash:
"My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Kalamazoo and particularly the cyclists and their families," Snyder's statement said. "The State Police were called to assist in the investigation and will continue to provide all the resources they can to help determine what exactly happened last night. What we already know for certain is that Michiganders as a family are in mourning today as Kalamazoo struggles to understand another senseless tragedy."
Coffman said he sees that group, usually 15-20 cyclists, pass his house about two to three times per week, and they often wave when he's outside.
"It's terrible," Coffman said. "People just went out for a bicycle ride never expecting they weren't going to go home."
WMMT radio reported Bradley was a former nurse with Gull Lake Community Schools, and Sippel worked for W.K. Kellogg Biological station.
W.K. Kellogg issued the following statement, according to WMMT:
"The entire KBS (Kellogg Biological Station) is devastated by the news that Suzanne Sippel was a victim of this horrific and tragic accident. She was valued and cherished member of the KBS community who impacted the lives of many of us in her role as a science data manager and enthusiastic support for bike riding and educational activities in the community. She will be sorely missed by all of us."
On Tuesday night, Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting wouldn't provide many details about what happened. He said not all families had been notified and he did not want facts about the scene reaching families through the news media.
A group of four bicyclists from a separate group stopped by the scene Wednesday morning to pay respects.
Bicyclist Bob Strader, 74, of Texas Township, Mich., said the stretch of two-lane road is one he prefers not to use.
"It's too narrow a bike lane for safety, in my estimation," he said, adding that there's only about 3 feet of shoulder space for cyclists.
A flattened area of brush in a ditch Wednesday morning off the road's northbound lane is marked by a cross and a bouquet of flowers, a makeshift memorial for the victims. A black tire tread along the shoulder leads to the area.
The northbound speed limit changes from 35 mph to 50 mph shortly north of the crash scene. Coffman said motorists often exceed the speed limit on that stretch of road, which slopes uphill. He said deputies recently had been watching the area and writing tickets.
Strader said he learned of the tragedy Tuesday night.
"It's heartbreaking to hear that sort of thing, 'cause it's possible that I know some of the riders," he said.
Contributing: Robert Warner, Battle Creek (Mich.) Enquirer. Follow Robert Allen on Twitter: @rallenMI