KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A man accused of killing five people when he plowed his speeding pickup into a group of Michigan bicyclists had taken pain pills and muscle relaxers less than two hours earlier, according to police reports.
Charles Pickett Jr., 50, was initially charged with second-degree murder in the June 7 crash in Kalamazoo County. Charges of driving while intoxicated causing death were added later.
The reports were obtained Wednesday by the Kalamazoo Gazette from the Kalamazoo County sheriff's office under the Freedom of Information Act. They say investigators also found marijuana, methamphetamine, beer and liquor in his truck.
A prosecutor had said earlier that Pickett was under the influence of drugs, but the release of the police reports provides the first details of what he had taken.
A state police report said the truck was going at least 58 mph in an area with a 35 mph speed limit.