The five cyclists were all participating in the Make-A-Wish Bike Tour, a three-day fundraising event and endurance ride that spans most of the state, according to the sheriff’s office of Ionia County. The bicyclists were traveling southbound when the SUV, which was traveling northbound, crossed the center line, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Ionia County is located approximately 40 miles east of Grand Rapids.
One bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene, while another died of his injuries at a nearby hospital, the sheriff’s office said. The three surviving cyclists were taken to hospitals with serious injuries, officials added.
The driver of the SUV was arrested on two counts of operating while intoxicated causing death and taken to the Ionia County Jail, the sheriff’s office added. Authorities did not release the driver’s name pending charges and a complaint.
The names of the cyclists were also not released. The investigation is ongoing, the sheriff’s office added.