Driver hits 4 cyclists in Fort Worth, killing 1, seriously injuring Arlington officer
A vehicle crashed into four church members who were riding bicycles together in east Fort Worth early Friday morning, killing one of the riders and seriously injuring another who is an Arlington police detective, according to authorities.
The man who died was identified by the Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office as Steven Dennis Cannon, 57, of Arlington. Police identified the injured off-duty officer as Alan Branch, a detective in the department’s Crimes Against Children unit.
The driver, who struck the group from behind, stayed on-scene and investigators don’t believe alcohol was a factor in the crash, Fort Worth police said. Any information on possible charges, police said, will come once investigators complete their initial report.
Tim Ciesco, an Arlington Police Department spokesman, said in an email that Branch was “riding a bike with members of his church this morning when a motorist struck him from behind.”
Fort Worth police received the first call around 6:30 a.m. about the crash that occurred on the Dottie Lynn Parkway bridge that runs over West Division Street, department spokesperson Officer Buddy Calzada said in an email. Officers responded to the location, he said, and were able to determine a driver had run into a group of four cyclists from behind.
Cannon was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
Ciesco said Branch was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital. He was “alert and conscious,” he said, but has sustained serious injuries.
“He’s at JPS at the moment being surrounded by officers and family,” Ciesco said.
Arlington Police Deputy Chief Jeff Petty told Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV on Friday afternoon that Branch was in surgery with an unknown prognosis. He’s an 11-year veteran of the department.
“I’ve known him for several years,” Petty told WFAA. “We’re just deeply saddened that he is having to go through this, and also that he lost a dear friend in the accident as well.”
Police said the group belongs to Lake Church in Arlington.
Police shared a statement from Branch’s family, who thanked the community for its support and well wishes. “Please continue to lift Alan up in your prayers, as he has a long road to recovery,” the statement said.
The other two cyclists riding with the group only suffered minor cuts and bruises, according to Fort Worth police.
This story was originally published August 28, 2020 at 9:58 AM.
