Two cyclists competing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship on Saturday were struck and injured by a car in southern Utah.
The spot where they were hit, at Telegraph Street and Slow Creek Lane in Washington City, is less than a mile from where two brothers were struck and killed in April as they rode in the Spring Tour of St. George cycling race.
Two white “Ghost Bikes” mark the place where California brothers Adam Bullard, 49, and Matthew Bullard, 48, were fatally struck by a woman who told police she was experiencing a medical event at the time. The roadside memorial was installed shortly after the fatal crash.
The driver in the April wreck, 47-year-old Julie Ann Budge, was charged with multiple criminal offenses, including DUI and automobile homicide, according to court documents filed in 5th District Court.
On Saturday, the two Ironman cyclists were struck at about 11 a.m. as they rode in the triathlon, receiving “serious bodily injuries,” according to a probable cause document. One rider was having difficulty breathing when emergency personnel arrived, and the other had a broken arm that required a police officer to apply a tourniquet, the document states.
The 68-year-old driver told police she had been smoking marijuana that morning and that she had illegal narcotics in her car, according to the document. She was the only person in the vehicle.
Witnesses told police that the woman also didn’t obey a flagger involved in the event.
Investigators considered the woman under the influence and arrested her, the document states. She was booked on suspicion of negligently operating a vehicle resulting in serious bodily injury, and failure to obey a flagman. The Salt Lake Tribune generally does not identify suspects unless they have been formally charged with a crime.
Washington City Mayor Kress Staheli did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday.
The crash is being investigated by the Washington County Accident Reconstruction Team. The Washington City Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
The Ironman 70.3 event is considered a half Ironman, and consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run, accounting for 70.3 miles of competition. The full 2021 Ironman World Championship was held in St. George in May.
— This is a developing story and will be updated.
from The Salt Lake Tribune https://ift.tt/0muZoqI
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