Prosecutors send charges back to Goodyear police for deadly cyclist crash

GOODYEAR, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) -- The charges against a man accused of hitting a group of cyclists, killing two, have bounced back to Goodyear police, officials say. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said on Tuesday the charges against Pedro Quintana-Lujan will be sent back to law enforcement for further investigation. Officials confirmed Quintana-Lujan was released from jail.

“The deaths of the two cyclists and injuries suffered by others that morning is an unimaginable tragedy. The police need time to complete their investigation. It is critical before making any charging decision, and triggering legal time constraints, that a full investigation is completed and provided to prosecutors for review,” said County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.

Police say Quintana-Lujan was driving on Cotton Lane Bridge, next to MC-85, when he hit a group of cyclists on Saturday morning. In all, 17 cyclists were injured, and two died, including 61-year-old Karen Malisa, a longtime math teacher from Goodyear, and 65-year-old David Kero, who was visiting Arizona from Michigan. Court documents say Quintana-Lujan claimed his steering wheel locked up and his pickup truck drifted when he hit the group. He also reportedly told police he smoked a marijuana blunt 11 hours before the wreck, but his blood analysis results are still pending.

Goodyear police released a statement about the decision.

All charging is at the discretion of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Goodyear Police Department submitted all evidence available at the time of the arrest. As we do in all cases, as additional evidence becomes available, the County Attorney is notified.

A GoFundMe has launched to support the victims.

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