Police photos of wreckage reveal horror of crash that killed 5 cyclists

The crumpled bikes of the five deceased and four badly injured cyclists sit in a compound in the US along with the wreckage of the pick-up truck that killed the riders. The shots have been released by the local police and underline the scale of the tragedy.

These are probably the saddest photos we can recall seeing in the aftermath of a traffic collision and show the bikes of the cyclists hit from behind in the US on Tuesday night while out for a summer club spin.

And the shots below of the blue pick-up truck that hit the riders also reveal the scale of the damage to the vehicle on impact.

A total of nine riders were in the group hit from behind by the vehicle, with five dying instantly at the scene and the other four riders hospitalised.

These photos were released by the police investigating the collision in Michigan, and have been published apparently as a safety warning to road users.

The crash occurred in Michigan at about 6.30pm on Tuesday local time when the pick-up hit the riders near Cooper Township, Kalamazoo.

The local police were searching the area for the pick-up at the time having received several reports during the half hour before the collision of a truck being driven erratically.

The cyclists were members of a local group of riders, calling themselves the Chain Gang, that went out for organised spins during the summer months.

They were on a planned 28 mile spin when hit from behind at speed by a 50-year-old male driver who is still being questioned by the local police.

Law enforcement officers said they could not recall a collision with such a high number of cyclist fatalities. May they rest in peace.