A Gwinnett County man riding a bicycle was hit by an SUV and killed near Hachita, N.M., on Saturday morning, authorities said.
Michael Rachelson, 66, of Norcross, died at the scene, New Mexico State Police said in a news release. Rachelson and the Chevrolet SUV were both traveling south on the state road.
Alcohol does not appear to be a contributing factor in the incident, and there was no shoulder to the road in the area of the crash, the release said.
Rachelson was part of a trio riding along the Continental Divide Trial from Banff, Canada, to Antelope Wells, N.M., one of the cyclists, Warren Netherson, told the Silver City Daily Press. The trail is 3,100 miles long and runs through five states.
The three men reportedly began the trip July 16. Rachelson recently retired from his career as a civil engineer, Netherson told the newspaper.
Netherson and the other rider were waiting for Rachelson about three-quarters of a mile ahead on the trail when they noticed multiple cars park along the road, the newspaper reported. When the two rode back to the scene, they saw Rachelson lying in a ditch several feet from the road.
Both men and paramedics attempted to give Rachelson CPR, but they failed to revive him, the Daily Press reported.
The 56-year-old man from Phoenix who was driving the SUV has not been charged, the police department’s release said. His name has not been released.
An investigation is ongoing.
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