A jury on Tuesday found Charles Pickett Jr. guilty of murdering five cyclists in a deadly 2016 car-bike crash in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Pickett was convicted of all charges, including five counts of second-degree murder, five counts of driving while intoxicated causing death, and four counts of driving while intoxicated causing serious injury. He faces life in prison when sentenced on June 11.

Pickett was high on painkillers and muscle relaxers when he struck nine members of the local Chain Gang Bicycle Club on the streets of Kalamazoo in June 2016. The group was five miles into a training ride when Pickett drove his pickup truck onto the shoulder of the road, hitting them from behind at nearly 60 mph. It’s believed he didn’t attempt to hit the brake until after he struck the first rider. Authorities found him hiding in the weeds a short distance from the crash site.

Five cyclists—Debbie Bradley, Melissa Fevig-Hughes, Tony Nelson, Larry Paulik, and Suzanne Sippel—were killed, while riders Douglas Gobble, Sheila Jeske, Jennifer Johnson, and Paul Runnels were severely injured.



It’s believed to be the deadliest car-bike crash in American history.

Mangled bikes in the aftermath of the deadly crash. Mark Bugnaski/Kalamazoo Gazette-MLive Media Group AP

The verdict seemed to give some solace to the survivors and families of the victims, but the loss remains. “You do not get over a traumatic event like this,” Fevig-Hughes’ mother, Gail Fevig, said in a written statement. “It scars you forever. You cannot get over and move on. We have lost part of ourselves. A piece of our heart is missing. We will never be whole again.”



Runnels, who said he suffered a fractured pelvis as a result of the crash, told MLive, “It still doesn’t bring back the ones we lost, but it’s justice. Justice has been served.”

Hours after the verdict, three of the four survivors—Runnels, Johnson, and Gobble—led a group ride around Kalamazoo to raise awareness for bike safety.

Although the trial was expected to last two weeks, it was over in half that time. Prosecutors called more than 20 people to the witness stand, including crash survivors and witnesses who said they saw Pickett driving erratically. Pickett’s attorneys rested their case without calling a single witness.

It took the jury four hours to reach its verdict. The fact that Pickett had traces of marijuana and methamphetamines in his system, and had also taken a handful of painkillers and muscle relaxers before driving, was reportedly a factor in the jury’s decision.

“Mr. Pickett had many opportunities, more than one opportunity, to stop driving,” jury foreperson Nick Meisling told MLive. “He chose to keep going.”

Robert Annis After spending nearly a decade as a reporter for The Indianapolis Star, Robert Annis finally broke free of the shackles of gainful employment and now freelances full time, specializing in cycling and outdoor-travel journalism. Over the years, Robert's byline has appeared in numerous publications and websites, including Outside, National Geographic Traveler, Afar, Bicycling, Men's Journal, Popular Mechanics, Lonely Planet, the Chicago Tribune, and Adventure.com

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