A pickup truck driver allegedly under the influence of alcohol struck a Tuesday evening group ride south of Durango, Colorado, USA on Tuesday 21 July, seriously injuring a cyclist.
The crash occurred shortly after 6:30 p.m. near County Road 302, approximately three miles south of the city, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Witnesses said the truck’s passenger-side mirror struck several riders before one cyclist was pulled beneath the vehicle and its attached trailer.
The injured rider was identified by the cycling community as Elliott Saslow, 32, a coach with youth development program Durango Devo and, more recently, the owner of the longtime local bike shop Mountain Bike Specialists. Saslow suffered multiple fractures, including a fractured pelvis, and was transported to Mercy Hospital in serious condition.
The driver, 39-year-old Thomas Huntsman of Aztec, New Mexico, was arrested and booked into the La Plata County Jail on suspicion of felony vehicular assault, driving without insurance, driving with an open container and DUI after allegedly admitting to drinking before the crash. An open bottle of liquor was reportedly found inside the truck. Jail records show he is no longer in custody after posting bond on Wednesday 22 July. Formal charges are scheduled to be filed on Monday 3 August in La Plata County Court.
Former Olympic mountain biker and Durango resident Todd Wells, who arrived at the scene minutes later, said fellow riders had to restrain the agitated driver and keep him away from Saslow as he lay injured awaiting the arrival of emergency medical personnel.
The incident has shaken a town regarded as one of America’s premier cycling communities. Fort Lewis College’s renowned collegiate cycling program and the Durango Devo development pathway, where Saslow raced as a junior before becoming a coach, have helped produce generations of national and world champions, including WorldTour professionals Quinn Simmons and Sepp Kuss, as well as mountain bike legend Ned Overend, all of whom honed their talents on Durango’s famed ‘Tuesday Night Worlds’ group rides.
The cycling community has rallied around Saslow as he begins his recovery.
Photo Credit: Todd Wells
© 2026 Copyright Gran Fondo Daily News – All Rights Reserved