2 cyclists training for Cops for Cancer ride seriously injured in Prince George, B.C., hit-and-run

RCMP in Prince George, B.C., say a man is in custody following a hit-and-run that seriously injured two cyclists — one of them a police officer — who were training for a charity event.

Mounties said the collision took place near the intersection of Ospika Boulevard North and McRae Avenue around 9 a.m. PT Monday. 

The two cyclists were riding on the side of the road when they were struck, police said. The pair was taken to hospital with serious injuries.  

Officers located a suspect vehicle — a newer model, black Ram 1500 truck — and took a man into custody, police said.

Mounties said Monday that the injured cyclists are an RCMP officer and a community member who were on a training ride for the Cops for Cancer Tour de North fundraiser.

"This incident has impacted us on a number of levels today, as we work to complete a fulsome investigation while at the same time trying to absorb the information that a member of our policing family was one of those injured,"  Supt. Darin Rappel, officer in charge of the Prince George RCMP, said in a statement.

"Investigations such as this take on a different nuance than we typically experience."

Cyclist's 'worst nightmare'

Ron Gallo, who has participated in past Cops for Cancer rides, said he knows the victims as good cyclists. One of them, he said, had a radar device on their bike to warn of objects approaching from behind. 

He was on the scene in the aftermath to help identify their equipment and described what he saw.

"The rims on the back wheels of both bikes were bent and broken," he said. "There were water bottles, there were helmets, there were shoes on the road...  and there was a truck's side view mirror in the middle of all of it."

He said it appeared that the bikers had been hit from behind, and described the incident as a cyclist's "worst nightmare."

"Every cyclist at some level puts that notion into the back of their head when they get on their bike that they can't control whether or not they're actually going to make it home," he said. 

"At some level, that is a real thought that cyclists have, and the reason why is because incidents like these continue to happen."

Cops for Cancer Tour de North is a seven-day event where police agencies and emergency service personnel cycle across northern B.C. to raise funds for childhood cancer research and support services at the Canadian Cancer Society.

"Since beginning their training in May, our riders have formed a close-knit team, united by a shared purpose of changing the future of childhood cancer by raising funds, hope and awareness,"  said Laura Nelson, manager for Cops for Cancer, in a statement.

"The two riders injured are not only valued teammates — they are community leaders and role models dedicated to making a difference. This tragic incident is felt deeply by the Canadian Cancer Society and the Cops for Cancer community."

The charity ride is set to happen in September.