A minivan passenger in Las Vegas who pushed a cyclist from her bike, killing her, was himself killed after he fell out of the vehicle.
The incident happened at around 7.30am yesterday morning in the east of the city in Nevada, reports the Review Journal.
According to the Los Angeles Metropolitan Police Department, witnesses described how the driver of the minivan appeared to have been racing with other vehicles.
The passenger was said to have stuck his body out of the vehicle and attempted to strike a couple walking on the sidewalk.
One of them described how he heard the engine “rev up,” adding that he and his wife were able to get out of the way.
The occupant of the minivan then pushed a cyclist from her bike. The rider, a woman aged in her mid-50s, died at the scene of injuries sustained when she fell.
Meanwhile, in pushing the woman, the minivan’s passenger fell out of the vehicle and slid along the road surface for around 150 feet before his head struck a lamppost, killing him.
Homicide Lieutenant Ray Spencer said: “Senseless is an understatement.
“There’s no reason behind, that I can tell you, as to why it occurred – other than complete stupidity.”
Homicide detectives were called to the scene by crash investigators who had interviewed witnesses, he explained.
“What has made this a homicide investigation is the intentional act of him sticking his body out the window, striking the bicyclist and killing her.”
The driver of the minivan – like the passenger, a male aged between 18-22 years – fled the scene and is being sought by police.
He could potentially face a murder charge, with Lt Spencer saying that he deliberately drove the vehicle close to both the pair of pedestrians and the woman who had been cycling.
Officers are continuing their investigation.