Charges laid in connection with Giant-Alpecin crash
On Jan. 23, several members of the Giant-Alpecin squad were hospitalized, after a car collided with them during a training ride in Spain.
On Jan. 23, several members of the Giant-Alpecin squad were hospitalized, after a car collided with them during a training ride in Spain. Today, it was announced that charges have been laid against a British motorist in connection with the incident.
While her name has been withheld, the accused is a 73-year-old woman.
Police in Alicante, Spain charged and released the motorist, but didn’t provide her name due to an ongoing investigation. What is known is that the motorist, driving in sunny conditions and with presumably good visibility, reportedly crossed from the opposite side of the road into the lane where the training Giant-Alpecin cyclists were riding. With a shock described as “violent,” the car cruised into the group head-on, the scene immediately chaotic. Among the injured were Max Walscheid, Fredrik Ludvigsson, Chad Haga, Warren Barguil and John Degenkolb.
When the dust had somewhat settled, witnesses described the carnage of the scene. Bikes littered the side of the road, their frames broken, their wheels completely warped. According to Ramon Sinkeldam, who emerged from the crash with cuts, bruises and the need for 24 stitches, the scene was like a “battlefield.”
Un herido grave tras ser arrollados 6 ciclistas del equipo Giant por un coche en Benigembla https://t.co/0EP8ItxUy7 pic.twitter.com/GjYjyru8KU
— INFORMACION.es (@informacion_es) January 23, 2016
The other riders, meanwhile, all suffered injuries requiring hospital care, some described as “serious.”
Witnesses reported that the driver was operating a British-style vehicle with the steering wheel on the right hand side. Before she was released, the motorist was charged with imprudence and reckless driving, but Alicante police noted that those charges may yet change. In a statement, police confirmed that the 73-year-old—while she can’t be named—lives six months out of the year in Spain, the other six at home in the United Kingdom.
While further information about the injured Giant-Alpecin riders’ conditions is still forthcoming, it’s been confirmed that Chad Haga’s first round of surgery—repairing damaged veins and arteries—has been completed. The 27-year-old American rider suffered an orbital fracture and several contusions and abrasions, while Degenkolb endured a severe hand injury. According to posts made on social media, the end of one finger had been almost entirely severed.
