A year and a half ago a truck driven by Arizona, USA resident Shawn Michael Chock, 37, intentionally ran into an amateur race peloton at the Arizona State Championships, sending riders flying left and right from the severe impact. One cyclist was killed and many others injured with life changing results – including not being able to work, ride or remember things in the short term.

Court documents report Chock’s pickup truck came barreling at a high speed through the race peloton before hitting a telephone pole in the town of Show Low. Cyclists who were not run over started pounding on the windows, screaming for Chock to get out. Instead he fled the scene in the truck, with city, county and state police in hot pursuit. Not far away, behind a hardware store, Chock was cornered by police and shot when he would not obey police orders. He has since recovered.

Chocks horrific actions in June 2021 killed amateur competitive cyclist Jeremy Barrett, 58, and now a Navajo County Superior Court judge has sentenced Chock to total of 26.5 years in an Arizona State Prison. He was given a sentence of 16 years for killing Jeremey Barrett and 10.5 years for felony aggravated assault. He was also sentenced for eight more counts of aggravated assault on other riders in the peloton, which will be served concurrently during his years of imprisonment.

This is not Chock’s first time running afoul of the law or serving time in prison. He was convicted in 2007 of aggravated assault disorderly conduct with a weapon and in 2010 of aggravated driving under the influence. He served 18 months in an Arizona State Prison from May 2013 until October 2014.

Competitor Brian Lemke, who was run over by Chock, said this about the prison sentence, “I think he should be put away forever. Hopefully, this will be close to that. I think as long as he doesn’t get out and injure someone else, I guess it seems like a fair outcome.”

Lemke’s injuries from that tragic day included numerous broken ribs, a punctured lung, fractured vertebrae and many contusions, resulting in Lemke only able to sleep in an upright position for two months afterwards.

Lemke knows he is one of the lucky survivors, one that is grateful to be back riding his bike again. Unfortunately, other survivors will likely never have that option.

Photos: J. Headley/ The White Mountain Independent