A Santa Fe cycling group is calling out the sheriff’s office.The outrage comes after a suspected road rage incident last week near Santa Fe that landed three bicyclists in the hospital.
The cyclists believe the driver deliberately struck them and they want to know why he was only given a traffic citation.
Highway 41 between Eldorado and Galisteo is a popular route for Santa Fe County cyclists. Just last Thursday, it’s where a group called Santa Fe Seniors on Bikes went for their weekly ride.
“Santa Fe is getting well-known for being a bicycle conscious community. It’s part of our brand really. People come here to ride bikes in the mountains on trails.” said Bike Shop owner Charlese Verral.
Members of the group said they were blindsided by an attack. In a blog post, one member described the road rage incident, saying they were passed by a white Honda, then the car stopped and backed-up aiming for the group and hit three cyclists.
“Over 80 percent of accidents happen not from behind. People get hit from the side car coming at them and of course, like an attack like it was recently,” Verral said.
The driver, 39-year-old Jacob Brown, was cited at the scene.
In an email to KRQE News 13, one cyclist said he’s frustrated because he feels that driver should be charged with something more serious.
KRQE News 13 asked the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office why the driver was only given a citation.
“They are going to wait for investigators to finalize their report and they will take the findings of the report and meet with the district attorney,” said Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Juan Rios.
The sheriff’s office wouldn’t release what Brown was cited for.
“It’s an open and ongoing case so I will not discuss the specifics,” Rios said.
The most seriously injured cyclist suffered broken ribs, a broken pelvis and a punctured lung. He remains in the hospital.
According to their website, the Santa Fe Seniors ride every Thursday and will be out again this Thursday.
