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5 years later, surviving cyclists remember tragic Kalamazoo crash

On June 7, 2016, Charles Pickett Jr. drove his pickup truck into a group of 9 cyclists. He killed 5 of them and badly injured the other 4.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A weekly tribute holds a special meaning tonight. Monday marked five years since the tragic deaths of five cyclists killed near Kalamazoo. Tuesday, survivors will continue to remember the lives of those they lost.

On June 7, 2016, Charles Pickett Jr. drove his pickup truck into a group of nine cyclists. He killed five of them and badly injured the other four. 

RELATED: Permanent memorial planned to honor Kalamazoo cyclists

They were all part of The Chain Gang Bicycle Club and had just set out on a 28-mile ride. Since that tragedy, community members and survivors of the crash have taken part in several memorial rides, and each Tuesday many people still meet and ride. 

They ride to remember those killed: Debbie Bradley, Melissa Fevig-Hughes, Tony Nelson, Larry Paulik and Suzanne Sippel. 

RELATED: MI Supreme Court denies Charles Pickett's appeal

RELATED: ‘Unbearable, wicked’ crash that killed five bicyclists brings driver decades in prison

Pickett Jr. is currently in prison, sentenced to at least 40 years behind bars. 

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