{"id":53485,"date":"2025-08-08T02:42:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-08T02:42:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/53485\/"},"modified":"2025-08-08T02:42:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-08T02:42:13","slug":"driver-in-deadly-2023-goodyear-cycling-crash-accepts-plea-deal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/53485\/","title":{"rendered":"Driver in deadly 2023 Goodyear cycling crash accepts plea deal"},"content":{"rendered":"

GOODYEAR, AZ \u2014 Some closure may be near for the victims in a deadly cycling crash in Goodyear in February of 2023.<\/p>\n

More than two years after the crash happened, the driver in the case, Pedro Quintana Lujan, pleaded guilty to 12 misdemeanor counts for either causing death or injury by a moving violation on Thursday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a certain part of finality that this is coming to its conclusion,\u201d said Clay Wells, a victim in the crash. Wells was the last of the victims<\/a> in the crash to get out of the hospital and has since been recovering.<\/p>\n

On a morning in February 2023<\/a>, a group of 20 cyclists from the West Valley Cycling group were taking their routine ride across the Cotton Lane Bridge when they were hit by a pickup truck driver. Two people died in that crash, Karen Malisa as well as David Kero.<\/p>\n

Police and reports say Pedro Quintana Lujan, who was 26 at the time, was driving the truck. He originally told police that his steering locked<\/a>, however, two separate evaluations cited in a National Transportation Safety Board report<\/a>\u00a0<\/a>showed there were no issues with his truck. However, the report said fatigue likely played a role in the crash.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a long, almost two-and-a-half years<\/a> for the victims who have been waiting for justice. Quintana Lujan was originally booked into jail for manslaughter, endangerment and causing serious injury or death by a moving violation. However, he was later released after Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell sent the case back to Goodyear police.<\/p>\n

Months later, Mitchell told the victims she was not pursuing felony charges because there was a lack of evidence<\/a>. Records show Quintana Lujan had some THC in his system; however, Mitchell said Arizona law doesn\u2019t have a set standard for proving impairment by THC only.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The evidence] just wasn’t there. It’s heartbreaking and it’s unsatisfactory but it is where we are at right now,\u201d she said to ABC15 in November 2023. \u201cIt’s a collision where we cannot show with the evidence that there was a conscious disregard of a risk that this individual made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Victims were upset that Mitchell did not pursue felony charges and ultimately sent the case back to the City of Goodyear, where the prosecutor then filed 12 misdemeanor charges.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe biggest disappointment goes back to the County Attorney, Rachel Mitchell, for not pursuing this,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n

The case was supposed to go to trial, but then a plea deal was agreed upon and discussed during a Thursday hearing, where Quintana Lujan said he was guilty on all 12 counts.<\/p>\n

In the plea deal, Quintana Lujan could face between six to 12 months in jail, probation, license suspension for up to 180 days, quarterly drug testing, restitution and fines. However, that will be up to the judge to decide, and the sentencing is slated for September 4th.<\/p>\n

“I know several of the victims have, they just want it to be over. It’s been a long arduous road for them, especially for those who lost loved ones,\u201d Wells said.<\/p>\n

ABC15 spoke on the phone with Steve Malisa, Karen\u2019s husband<\/a>, after the hearing on Thursday. He said he\u2019s \u201cvery disappointed\u201d with how the case turned out, adding that \u201cit doesn\u2019t make sense that two lives could be taken and only get a moving violation.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy wife was taken from us, all her friends and the community. I don\u2019t want it to go unnoticed, and if I had my wish, something positive would come from this,\u201d he told ABC15, hoping that state lawmakers would see their case and hopes some sort of change would come so that others may never feel the pain his family has felt.<\/p>\n

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