The cycling community in Goodyear, Arizona held a ride to honor the memory of two cyclists struck down one year ago when a pickup truck plowed through their group near the Cotton Lane Bridge, according to a report by AZFamily. In a calamity that resulted in two fatalities and 17 injuries, participants and supporters joined on the anniversary to commemorate the lives lost and to seek healing from the scarring event. 61-year-old Karen Malisa, a long-time math teacher, and 65-year-old visitor from Michigan, David Kero, were the lives claimed by the crash.
According to survivor Clay Wells' interview with AZFamily, the group ride represented more than a solemn tribute. Wells himself was severely injured, having experienced a coma and lost five weeks of memory. Despite his ongoing physical recovery and the burden of survivor's guilt, Wells chose to rejoin his cycling group, seeking some semblance of normality and closure.
However, the heavy hearts of the Goodyear cycling group are shadowed by a contentious legal aftermath. Cyclists and families are expressing frustration over perceived justice deficits, as calls for accountability go seemingly unheeded. After initial felony charges by the Goodyear Police, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell has dismissed them, citing insufficient evidence to convict, thus referring the case to the Goodyear City Prosecutor with no decision yet on misdemeanor charges, as reported by AZFamily. This decision has been subject to criticism from the cycling community and the legal representatives of the victims, who believe that justice has not been adequately served.
The county attorney's office has been under scrutiny given the case. Clay Wells shared his dismay, stating, “Until the group is back and intact, as much as it can be without Karen and without David, it’s not really the same.” Beset by a tragedy that has left physical and mental scars, the cycling community's distress is amplified by their feeling that accountability for the crash has been less than forthcoming. Despite what many see as a lack of legal recourse, the community remains bonded through their support for one another, as expressed by West Valley Cycle, highlighting the importance of community strength in the healing process as relayed by Good Morning Arizona, according to AZFamily.
The driver of the vehicle, Pedro Quintana-Lujan, was initially arrested but released after the county attorney sent the case back to police for further investigation. With THC found in Quintana-Lujan's system but a Drug Recognition Experts exam coming back inconclusive, the case remains in bureaucratic limbo as the community and victims await closure.
