Misdemeanor charges filed against driver who crashed into bicyclists in Goodyear

PHOENIX — Multiple misdemeanor charges were submitted against a driver accused of plowing into a group of bicycle riders in Goodyear earlier this year, killing two people, authorities said Monday.

The Goodyear Police Department submitted two counts of causing death of another by a moving violation and six counts of causing serious physical injury to another by a moving violation against 26-year-old Pedro Quintana-Lujan to the city prosecutor’s office.

The filing came less than three weeks after the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office stopped pursuing the case against Quintana-Lujan because there was not enough evidence to ensure a felony conviction.

“Upon receiving the official rejection from MCAO, the detectives initiated preparations for the misdemeanor charges linked to the incident. Given the complexity of the case, it involves an extensive compilation of information, encompassing thousands of pages, meticulously prepared for submission,” the Goodyear Police Department said in a press release.

What happened on Cotton Lane Bridge in Goodyear?

Quintana-Lujan was allegedly driving a pickup truck hauling a trailer on Feb. 25 when the vehicle crashed into a group of bicyclists on Cotton Lane Bridge, a highway about 19 miles west of Phoenix.

One bicyclist died at the scene and another died at a hospital. Nearly everyone in the 20-person cycling group was injured.

Quintana-Lujan stayed at the scene. He told police his steering had locked.

He was initially booked into jail on suspicion of two counts of manslaughter and multiple other charges.

In reviewing the evidence, county prosecutors found no indication Quintana-Lujan had been speeding or under the influence of alcohol.

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