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Drunk Driver Plows Into Group of Cyclists in Colorado with One Rider Crushed Under Truck

A group ride in Colorado turned into a horrifying scene when a drunk driver slammed into multiple cyclists, leaving one seriously injured and trapped beneath a pickup truck and trailer. Witnesses told authorities the truck’s passenger-side mirror struck several riders, sending 32-year-old Elliott Saslow to the ground and under the vehicle.

Drunk Driver Plows Into Group of Cyclists in Colorado with One Rider Crushed Under Truck

The driver, Thomas Huntsman, 39, was arrested on suspicion of felony vehicular assault, drunken driving, open-container violations, and driving without insurance. He has since been released from La Plata County Jail.

The crash happened just after 6:30 p.m. near County Road 302 and U.S. Highway 550, south of Durango. According to the Colorado State Patrol, Huntsman drifted into a turn lane, hit a cyclist, ran over a stop sign, and smashed into a deer fence — a chaotic path of destruction that ended with Saslow suffering multiple broken bones, including a broken pelvis. He was rushed to Mercy Hospital in serious condition.

Huntsman refused a field sobriety test, prompting officers to obtain a warrant for a blood-alcohol draw. At the hospital, he allegedly admitted he had been drinking Southern Comfort in the truck. Troopers also could not find proof of insurance for his vehicle.

What witnesses described next was even more disturbing. Huntsman was reportedly agitated, aggressive, and vulgar towards the cyclists, telling officers he did not care about cyclists.

Former Olympian Todd Wells arrived minutes after the crash and said Huntsman tried to approach Saslow as he lay injured on the ground, acting “belligerent” while other cyclists desperately tried to help their friend.

Formal charges are expected to be filed on August 3 in La Plata County Court.

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