Mexican DWI crash into group (scary photo) post ONLY here

[culdeus]

This just happened this morning, across the Texas-Mexico border.

http://www.hoytamaulipas.net/?v1=notas&v2=44203&tit=Carrera_ciclista_termina_en_tragedia_en_Matamo ros

Babelfish helps for the Spanish-impaired.

An incredible photo, and worth noting that Mexican print/tv media show much more gore than they do here in the states if you click further in the links. Just a terrible accident and there are tons in the hospital. A mix of US and Mexico riders were involved. More details to come.

[Dave Hickey]

That is so sad... How can you not see group of racers?

[Leopold Porkstacker]

Was probably text messaging or something equally unimportant and lame.

[Ken]

Matamoros, Tamaulipas .- A cycling race ended this Sunday morning in tragedy when the driver of a vehicle winding to a quota that was finalized Beach Baghdad.

Early reports indicate that shortly after the eight o'clock, had launched a coexistence of cycling, from the city of Matamoros, Tamaulipas with the Beach Baghdad, involving approximately 500 participants, who led troops in 15 people.

The event was convened by the Club Ciclista "Chameleons", in its third edition.

Upon reaching the first contingent at kilometre 16 of that Rua, a vehicle lost control and hit squarely.

Until the moment it is unknown whether the driver was driving the drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, since they do not detected signs of an element of the Federal Preventive Police Roads division that led the group of cyclists.

After the impact, fourteen people were injured and one more died in various fractures. Two more people were reported injured as serious in hospitals in Matamoros.

The now occiso was identified as Alejandro Alvarez 34 years and residing in the Country Club of texana city of Brownsville.

The responsible for the accident, was arrested at the scene, said John Fields called aged 28, residing at 233 San Eugenio from the same city texana.

After the accident, participants of the Third Tour "Matamoros Playa Bagdad-2008", attempted homicide to assault imprudencial, speaking an element of the PFP Roads.

The ministerial authorities assumed that the vehicle he was driving a 1988 Grand Marquis model gray, is owned by a relative because they found documentation on behalf of Jessy Fields.

After the tragedy, coexistence was suspended by the organizers. In this race cyclist involved mainly professionals from both sides of the border.

[Paul1PA]

That is truly an horrific picture. Just an awful mess of bodies and bikes being strewn about. Pretty sure the black oval object high in the air is a helmet.

Clear day, straight road and a massive pack of riders yet this still happens. WTF?! Amazing there was only 1 fatality and hoping the injured have full recoveries.

[abiciriderback]

Wow how sad. Seeing that horrific picture makes me sick to my stomach. How many life's have been changed permanently from the action of the driver.???
Makes you wonder why???

Ray Still

[OldRoadGuy]

No words....

[uzziefly]

Really sad...

How in the hell did a guy just miss a pack of people?

Unfortunate indeed.

[JohnnyTooBad]

That's just brutal! By the looks of the picture, it looks like the cop car saw the guy coming on the wrong side of the road, and moved left, exposing all the riders to the car coming the other way.

tragic!

[Sprocket - Matt]

Yeah. I noticed that too Johnny.... Maybe that cop car should have turned on the siren, lights, etc... and ran head first into that oncoming car. At least the cyclists would have been saved, and a cop car can always be replaced, it's just a car...

Sorry, this is really awful news.

[dave2pvd]

Cop could have been ahead, or behind. You can't tell from what you see in the picture.

You can't blame the cop for swerving. That's just a natural instinctive reaction to someone heading straight for you, out of control.

Very, very sad.

[robbyracer]

Wow............
I'm speechless

[Sprocket - Matt]

Originally Posted by dave2pvd

You can't blame the cop for swerving. That's just a natural instinctive reaction to someone heading straight for you, out of control.

+1 - Good point.
I don't wanna lay blame on anyone.... Just a hindsight, thought that MAYBE the cop could have prevented it... But like you said "natural instinct" prevailed.

NO Matter, it's still horrible.

[California L33]

Originally Posted by dave2pvd

Cop could have been ahead, or behind. You can't tell from what you see in the picture.

You can't blame the cop for swerving. That's just a natural instinctive reaction to someone heading straight for you, out of control.

Very, very sad.

It's so sad that something like that could happen at all, let alone in an organized race. This is the nightmare that European road race organizers have been fearing will happen there with spotty last minute road closures.

Speaking of odd things, did anyone notice the cyclist off the road with his foot down at the point of impact? It's like he saw, got off the road and stopped, and nobody else did. Is he a spectator who didn't see the car coming? He's looking down the road.

I, too, would like to know how the cop ended up there with no lights on. Was he behind? Ahead? Was he escorting them by driving alongside on the wrong side of the road, or passing the group? The sign indicates that they're just past a divided road so maybe he pulled out to pass and the other car swerved to avoid him. Even with the photo you can't tell what's going on.

[bauerb]

OMFingG.

[bas]

Originally Posted by Sprocket - Matt

+1 - Good point.
I don't wanna lay blame on anyone.... Just a hindsight, thought that MAYBE the cop could have prevented it... But like you said "natural instinct" prevailed.

NO Matter, it's still horrible.

was the one guy on the left on the curb finishing his pee break or did he get out of the way?

kind of quick to put a foot down.

I see a helment flying in the air.. UGH..


the other photos are access via here:

goto the article, click on Galeria Fotographica.


http://www.hoytamaulipas.net/?v1=subseccion&v2=42


Carrera ciclista termina en tragedia en Matamoros Por: Marco Esquivel Foto José Fidelino Vera Hdz
Un vehículo impacta a un contingente de 15 cicilistas, uno de ellos murió en el lugar de los hechos y el resto terminó con lesiones 01/06/08 Galeria Fotográfica

[culdeus]

Originally Posted by California L33

Speaking of odd things, did anyone notice the cyclist off the road with his foot down at the point of impact? It's like he saw, got off the road and stopped, and nobody else did. Is he a spectator who didn't see the car coming? He's looking down the road.

Maybe a breakaway guy? Just a guess. He saw the guy weaving perhaps and made a move ahead of time to get to the shoulder. Again just a guess. Any US media pick up this story?

[phoehn9111]

Unimaginably graphic portrayal of the full extent of the raw physical impact and violence
of the collision. Every nuance is instinctively palpable. And that close up of the paramedic, kind of reminds me of those awful Signal 30 movies we were forced to watch in drivers ed.
You racers are a tougher breed than I am.

[Len J]

From The Brownsville Herald in English

Brownsville man killed in Matamoros cycling accident
Comments 3 | Recommend 8
June 2, 2008 - 12:18PM
By Jose Borjon, The Brownsville Herald

A Brownsville man is dead and at least five people remain hospitalized at a number of Rio Grande Valley hospitals after being struck by a car as the group, along with other cyclists participated in the third annual Bike Tour Matamoros-Playa Bagdad Sunday morning.

At least two people have been confirmed dead. Alejandro Alvarez, 34, of Brownsville, and a second person both died, the Mexican news outlet Tamaulipas enlinea.com reported in its online edition Monday.

Edgar Omar Castro, 14, Miguel Gonzalez, Alejandro Martinez and Rolando Loriqute, along with another person remained listed in conditions ranging from good to critical at Valley Baptist Medical Centers in Brownsville and Harlingen, VBMC spokeswoman Teri Retana confirmed late Sunday night.

The group, along with others participants in the bike race shortly, were struck by Jesse Lopez, 29, who drove a 1989 Gran Marquis. Lopez was driving drunk and under the influence of drugs, Matamoros newspapers reported in their Monday editions.

For more on this story, see Tuesday's Brownsville Herald.

A car collides into cyclists participating in a race in Mexico's northern border city of Matamoros, Sunday June 1, 2008. At least one person was killed and 14 injured when a driver slammed into a bicycle race. (AP Photo/Jose Fidelino Vera Hernandez)

[avatar78]

El presunto homicida Juan Campos de 28 años, es detenido por un elemento de la Policía Federal Preventiva división Caminos, tras atropellar a un contingente de ciclistas, donde uno de ellos falleció.

The alleged murderer Juan Campos...

I like the plain language. It would be nice if US newspapers described drivers who hit cyclists like that.

[bikerboy337]

so sad.. agree with the post above... people get off way too easy with driving in the us... had two people pull out in front of me (at stop signs) on my commute home today, had to swerve to avoid them... and two other drivers passed wihtin a foot of me, didn't move over in the least bit to give me a little space.. just hope this never happens especially with my first baby on the way in two weeks..... really sad story

[Dajianshan]

My daily fear.
I put up with these kind of reckless drivers every day... approaching from sides streets at full speed and crossing my lane, wrong way drivers, impulsive right hand turns.... shudder.

I feel real bad for those guys and their families.

[velodog]

There isn't anything sad about this!
The son of a ***** that did this needs to be hung and his body left to rot.
Anger is my response, not sadness.

[Pablo]

I am sick to my stomach.

How did a picture get taken?

[Mr. Bill]

And here's poor little me, losing sleep the last few nights because I'm temporarily unemployed. I guess we all need to be reminded sometimes of what a real nightmare is.