LAKE STEVENS — A Lake Stevens man died Saturday when a driver reportedly going up to 100 mph crashed into bicyclists during the Tour de Palm Springs near Indio, California.
Mark Kristofferson, 49, died at the scene of the crash, according to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. Another cyclist, a woman from Huntington Beach, California, was badly injured.
The crash happened around 9:20 a.m. on a stretch of two-lane road along the 100-mile route of the charity bicycle ride. The Tour de Palm Springs raises money for dozens of California nonprofits. This was the event’s 20th year.
The driver of the car was speeding and lost control of the vehicle, said Mike Radford, public information officer for the California Highway Patrol. A 21-year-old was arrested and is facing a charge of vehicular manslaughter. He also was driving with a suspended license. Investigators have not yet determined if drugs or alcohol were involved. The car, a 2006 Ford 500, veered across the road, onto a dirt shoulder and then back across the road, striking the bicyclists, Radford said.
“I don’t call crashes accidents. This is a perfect example,” Radford said. “Someone made poor choices, driving recklessly, way too fast. And the outcome is a tragic one where someone died.”
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