‘HEARTBROKEN’

2 Cyclists Dead, 3 Injured in SUV Crash During Make-A-Wish Ride

Three other riders were left with “severe injuries,” Michigan authorities said.

Two men have died and three more seriously injured after an SUV plowed into them as they cycled along a stretch of Michigan road on Saturday, Ionia County authorities said. The cyclists were participating in the Make-A-Wish Bicycle Tour, a three-day, 300-mile fundraising race. The group was hit head-on by the SUV as it crossed the road’s centerline into traffic while attempting to pass another vehicle, the Ionia County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook update. One cyclist was declared dead at the scene, while another was flown to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The other three were in “critical” condition after the crash, the sheriff’s office said. The SUV’s driver was arrested and charged with two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death. Make-A-Wish Michigan announced that it was canceling the final day of the event out of respect for the cyclists and their families. “Our staff and the entire Make-A-Wish family are heartbroken,” the organization said in a statement, according to The Detroit News.