Charles Pickett Jr. appeared in Kalamazoo County District Court Wednesday, June 22 in front of Robert Kropf.

KALAMAZOO, MI -- The suspect in the June 7 crash that killed five bicyclists and injured four others faces new charges of operating while intoxicated.

Charles Pickett Jr. is accused of five charges of operating while intoxicated causing death, on top of the original five counts of second-degree murder.

Pickett also faces four charges of operating while intoxicated causing serious injury. Those charges replace the reckless driving charges he had faced.

The intoxication charges allege Pickett had a controlled substance in his system at the time of the crash, said Kalamazoo County Prosecutor Jeff Getting.

Getting declined to say whether Pickett had taken a legal drug, an illegal drug or a combination of both. He also declined to say what levels of the drugs were in his system.

The new charges Pickett faces result from receiving all of the test results from the Michigan State Police laboratory, Getting said.

During a pre-examination conference held Wednesday, Pickett's attorney Alan Koenig requested Pickett undergo a competency evaluation. Pickett appeared in Kalamazoo County District Court Wednesday, June 22 in front of Robert Kropf.

The competency evaluation is to determine whether Pickett is capable of understanding the nature of the charges against him and whether he's able to assist his attorney, Getting said.

The state's Center for Forensic Psychiatry has 60 days to complete the evaluation.

Police say Pickett crashed his pickup truck into the nine bicyclists who were out for a June 7 ride as part of the "Chain Gang" bicycle group.

He could face up to life in prison if convicted of second-degree murder.

A new court date is scheduled for Aug. 31 as an internal review to make sure the competency evaluation has been started. Getting said Pickett's preliminary examination will be scheduled within five days of receiving the completed competency evaluation.

At that probable cause hearing, evidence against Pickett will be presented and the judge will decide whether it is sufficient to send the case to circuit court for trial.

Pickett has the option to waive the preliminary hearing.

Killed in the crash Tuesday, June 7, on North Westnedge Avenue north of Kalamazoo were 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 seriously injured were 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.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash.