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Pedro Quintana-Lujan: Pickup driver faces manslaughter charges after Arizona crash leaves 2 cyclists dead, 11 injured

Pedro Quintana-Lujan is being held on a $250K bond and is scheduled to appear in court on March 3

PHOENIX, ARIZONA: A driver has been charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault following a collision with a large group of cyclists in Arizona on Saturday, February 25. The suspect, identified by police as Pedro Quintana-Lujan, aged 26, was operating a pickup truck when he drove into cyclists on the Cotton Lane Bridge. He remained at the scene and was subsequently questioned by the police.

One woman was declared dead at the scene, while a man succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. Eleven others were transported to three separate hospitals with varying degrees of injuries, according to the police department.

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What are the charges against Pedro Quintana-Lujan?

Pedro Quintana-Lujan faces several charges, including manslaughter, three counts of aggravated assault, 18 counts of endangerment, and two counts of causing serious injury or death by a moving violation, according to Goodyear police. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 3 and was held on a $250,000 bond, according to Maricopa County jail records.

The crash: What happened?

The collision occurred just before 8 am when a group of cyclists was riding across a bridge in Arizona. The pickup truck rammed into the group, killing two and injuring 11 others.

"We are sad to update you that this is a fatal crash with two confirmed deceased cyclists. One adult female and one adult male. This crash involved a single vehicle (pick-up truck). The adult male driver remained on the scene. This investigation is ongoing," the Goodyear Police Department said in a statement released on Facebook. It is unclear what caused the crash, but the authorities have launched an investigation and barricaded the area, according to the police.

The cause of the accident has not been determined yet. The police department has stated that one of the victims was a resident of the local area, while the other was visiting from a different state. In response to the unfortunate event, the Goodyear Police Department expressed their profound grief and offered their sympathies to the families of the victims, the cycling community, and the community as a whole through a tweet on Twitter.

Similar multi-vehicle crash in Anthem

A similar accident occurred on the I-17 in Anthem resulting in injuries to at least nine individuals. Conflicting reports from authorities indicate that between 15 and 20 vehicles were involved in multiple crashes leading to a massive pileup north of Daisy Mountain Drive. The exact extent of the injuries is not yet clear.

According to the DPS, all vehicles involved in the incident have been cleared from the highway, and efforts are underway to reopen some of the lanes.