Coal-Rolling Teen Pickup Truck Driver Hits Six Cyclists, Hospitalizing Four: Report
The driver stayed at the scene to speak with police but reportedly has not been arrested.
Six cyclists were struck by a Ford Super Duty near Waller, Texas on Saturday, leading to four hospitalizations. Two riders were airlifted to a nearby medical facility and while their exact conditions are unknown, various local news outlets report that they're in recovery. The cyclists were training for an Ironman marathon when, roughly 75 miles into their ride, an F-350 crashed into them, and one witness says the 16-year-old driver was taunting the group when the incident occurred.
Chase Ferrell, a cyclist who gave his account of the collision to KPRC 2 and Fox 26, claims the diesel truck driver blew black smoke on him and everyone else in the group.
"The reason he couldn’t stop is because he was accelerating to blow more diesel fuel on these cyclists," Ferrell explained to Fox 26. "He ended up hitting three people before his brakes even started."
Although no video of the crash has been released, photos showing mangled bikes and the truck's caved-in front bumper indicate it wasn't a low-speed encounter. It took place on old Highway 290, west of Houston, and Ferrell says the driver stayed at the scene of the incident and spoke with police once they arrived.
"There was no reason for this to happen," Ferrell continued to Fox 26. "It wasn’t like he was on his phone. [He] definitely meant to try and scare these people [or] intimidate them in some way. [Maybe he then] made a mistake and ran them over."
As of Sunday afternoon, the F-350 driver had not been arrested. Ferrell spoke about this with KPRC 2, saying, “I don’t understand, if it was me who had struck someone else, I would be in jail. I don’t understand how it’s come to this point where there are no consequences this far."
Police in Waller say the incident remains under investigation.
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