Bicycle Fatalities Rising

State data shows that bicyclist-versus-motorist crashes have been on the rise.

The death of an elite tri-athlete on Friday near Ann Arbor has lifted the number of fatalities to eighteen in Michigan since January.

A spokesperson from the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning says the number could rise as more reports are received and as the number of cyclists on roads increase.

In June, five cyclists were killed and four were injured outside of Kalamazoo when a pick-up truck plowed through their group on a two lane road.