US motorist crashes into Mexican bike ride

A US citizen crashed into a US-organised Mexican sportive on Sunday. The riders were 15 minutes into the 34km ride between Playa Bagdad and Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.

Driver Juan Campos, 28, was charged with killing Alejandro Alvarez, 37. Campos was said by police to have been drunk and asleep at the wheel when he ploughed into the cyclists. Pix of the crash and Campos are now on Flickr.

In stills at the start of the video above, cyclists and bicycles are seen flying through the air. A helmet from one of the cyclists is also seen in mid-air.

UPDATE: TV station KVEO.com has filed this report on the crash and its aftermath:



Bizarrely, at the end of the report - which interviewed one of the injured riders - the TV reporter said the injured cyclist would “hit the road again soon.” She also said: “Miraculously, one of the riders was killed but several others remain in the hospital.”See full transcript below.

The horrific image of the crash has been seen around the world. There’s been much discussion whether it’s right to publicise the image. This commentary is the best on this emotive subject.

TRANSCRIPT FROM KVEO PIECE:
A horrific bike tour accident in Matamoros over the weekend leaves one Brownsville man dead and several injured. An amateur photographer captures an amazing shot of the accident as it happens.

The third annual bike tour - Matamoros-Playa Bagdad - started at 8 o’ clock Sunday morning. Hundreds of people, from little ones to adults, joined the 21-mile race. They thought it was a family outing, but little did they know, 30 minutes later, a man under the influence of alcohol ended the life of Brownsville resident, 30-year-old Alejandro Alvarez.

The picture you see on the screen was taken right as the accident happened. The car swerved around the police escort and ran over a dozen bikers. the bicyclists and bikes were thrown in the air from the sudden impact. Miraculously, one of the riders was killed but several others remain in the hospital.

37-year-old Julio Garcia was in front of the pack. He says all he remembers is peddling and looking at the car police say was driven by Brownsville resident, Jesse Campos, go toward the pack.

“I hit one of the guys and flew on top of those. I couldn’t see. Everything happened in seconds. Only thing that I can remember is I was sitting next to the road and I looked around I see guys thrown over there.”

The guys that were hit by Campos were his teammates from the Velocyraptors Cycling Team. The team has joined various races here in the Valley and it was the first time the team joined in the race in Matamoros.

“It was a good challenge to go across the border, just have fun that’s all, and have fun.”

Garcia says seven members of the cycling team including himself were hurt. Three are still at Valley Baptist Medical Center. He’s recovering at home with bumps and bruises. Garcia says the only reason he’s alive is because of his protective gear.

Two bikers remain in the hospital in stable condition; the other is in serious but also stable condition. As for Garcia, he says he will hit the streets again after he makes a full recovery, but he’ll be more aware of his surroundings.