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KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — A federal safety agency investigating a Michigan road crash that killed five bicyclists says it's still determining the likely cause and other aspects of the accident.
The National Transportation Safety Board recently released a preliminary report on the June 7 crash in Kalamazoo County's Cooper Township, in which a man struck nine cyclists on the road's shoulder. Fifty-year-old Charles Pickett Jr. was charged with second-degree murder and driving while intoxicated causing death.
The report finds "no rumble strips or pavement markings designating a bicycle lane." It adds "visibility was clear" at the time.
Investigators are exploring allegations Pickett used "medications and illicit drugs" before the crash.
Pickett's lawyer, Alan Koenig, says Pickett intended no harm.
The NTSB typically probes airplane failures, commercial truck mishaps and train derailments.
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