This photo will give you nightmares

At least two people were killed Sunday morning when Jesse Lopez, 29, drove a 1989 Gran Marquis into a group of cyclists racing the Bike Tour Matamoros-Playa Bagdad in Mexico. One of the two men killed was  Alejandro Alvarez, 34, of Brownsville, Texas. The other name was not released. Lopez was driving drunk and under the influence of drugs, Matamoros newspapers reported in their Monday editions. Read the full story at the Brownsville Herald.

UPDATE: Here's the full story from the Associated Press.

(AP) -- A car plowed into a weekend bike race along a highway near the U.S.-Mexico border, killing one and injuring 10 others, police said.

The 28-year-old driver was apparently drunk and fell asleep when he crashed into the race, said police investigator Jose Alfredo Rodriguez.

A photograph taken by a city official showed bicyclists and equipment being hurled high into the air by the collision.

Rodriguez said Juan Campos was charged with killing Alejandro Alvarez, 37, of Monterrey.

Authorities said the wreck happened 15 minutes into the 34-kilometer (21 mile) race Sunday along a highway between Playa Bagdad and Matamoros, across from Brownsville, Texas.

Campos said he is an American citizen living in Brownsville. The U.S. Consulate could not immediately confirm that.

"We are looking into the incident in terms of whether American citizens were involved," consulate spokesman Todd Huizinga said.

 

[Photo is a still from video via AP]

Comments

[Cheryl]

The picture alone is horrifying enough. I usually don't complain about news coverage, but I have to say that the headline in Today's TBT that shows the picture (page 17) is absolutely appalling and tremendously offensive. So much so, that I refuse to repeat it in this post. I've emailed the editors of that publication, but I thought that perhaps others might feel similarly.

[Chip Haynes]

Whoever wrote that TBT headline should be relegated to riding a bicycle for at least a month. Take their car keys. They have forfeited the right.

[Princeton Class of 1990]

I don't read rags like TBT. I pride myself in my hard earned college education and refuse to downgrade my intelligence by patronizing a trash rag/mag like that one. Why would you read that thing in the first place? I know people who pick those up for the sole purpose of lining their cats litter boxes. You know, save trees!

[Chip Haynes]

TBT is an offshoot of the St. Petersburg Times. Just like this web site.

Do you realize the owner of this blog works for TBT?

That explains why the Times has fallen on hard times then if they're actually spending mnoney producing crap like TBT!

That pub *choke* pub *cough* publication (that was hard to get out) is nothing but legal porn.

[Adam Newman - Spoke N Word editor]

I agree that the headline is in extremely poor taste. We received a number of letters on the subject. I was the one who chose the photo to be published, but I do not write the headlines. The version of the page I saw had a different headline. It was changed after I saw it last. I would have objected to the headline that was published.

In full disclosure: my "day job" is, as stated, as an editor at tbt*, usually in the sports section. I understand tbt* is not for everyone and I won't be offended if you don't enjoy it.

[bob]

Another reason why I wouldn't read that liberal rag.

[Mel]

It's not that we're bashing Adam personally. Most of us on here understand that a job is a job is a job. a/k/a - a paycheck. That really was a ppor choice of headlines though which further soldifies the readers' opinions regarding the decency of the publication. That's all I think that people are saying. On a cycling blog, this type of photo with accompanying headline is bound to create an extremely sensitive dialog. Possibly a more sensitive approach to journalism is needed in differing forums?

[Mel]

Furthermore, as far as your "hard earned college education" Princeton Class of 1990, possibly a more pliant choice of words besides "rag/mag" would have yielded more congenial returns.

[joe]

I didn't see the TBT headline - anyone care to share it - even if it is appalling. Perhaps if more of us knew what it said, we could write letters to the editor and call for someone's head to roll (not you Adam - I'm happy to even see a cycling blog on here - thanks!).

[Chip Haynes]

I knew that if Adam had anything to do with the photo, he still had nothing to do with the headline. The TBT is trying to compete with Creative Loafing as the local hip/slacker rag. As if the local hip slackers read.

[joe]

still finding it difficult to muster any outrage if none of you will share what the headline said - please tell the big secret.

[Kenneth]

I'm college educated (Masters Degree from Ohio State) and I like the TBT. I'd love to have the time to sit and read through the NYT or Christian Science Monitor like I used to, but that's not the world most of us young professionals live in.

Those of us who work more than 40 hours a week and enjoy spending time with our families need news and entertainment in as efficient a vehicle as possible. I think the TBT does a pretty good job of that (although I did not see the headline everyone is talking about).

[Chip Haynes]

I would respectfully suggest that Adam has access to the original TBT photo and headline. If he wants to post it here for comment, the choice is his.

[Joe]

Jeez - you guys are acting this is some sort of state secret or something. It was published for gosh sake, for allt he world to see and read (though many of us didn't see it). By repeating the headline here, none of us will feel like they are YOUR words. Find it hard to believe it's such a big deal . . .

[Ghost Rider]

Joe, you've come this far...just a few more steps:

Go to http://tampabaytimes.fl.newsmemory.com/

Select Tuesday, June 3 from the dropdown box. Then, select "T17" from the other dropdown box and READ IT FOR YOURSELF.

[Mel]

It wasn't necessarily "offensive" to me, just seemed a little careless on the part of the person who's in charge of choosing titles for these articles.