Man driving wrong way on 3 wheels smashes into bicyclist and lodges him in wheel well before dragging him nearly half a mile to his death: Cops

A man in Ohio is accused of driving a pickup truck on three wheels after crashing it and smashing into a bicyclist before lodging the victim in the space where the missing wheel should have been and dragging him to his death for nearly half a mile.

Tyrelle Taylor, 26, faces charges including murder and involuntary manslaughter in the death of 35-year-old William “Frank” Mays, the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office announced. The defendant was also charged with 19 counts of felonious assault, tampering with evidence, two counts of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, and nine counts of failure to stop after an accident.

“This is one of the most disturbing crimes I have witnessed in my career, and I have seen a lot,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley said. “William ‘Frank’ Mays did what he did every day — ride his bike — which is his primary mode of transportation. He should still be with us today.”

“Instead, his life was taken in a manner so horrific that words cannot adequately describe it,” the prosecutor added. “My thoughts and prayers remain with the Mays family and all who loved Frank.”

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On Oct. 18 at about 4:50 p.m., Taylor was driving a black 2010 F-150 Raptor pickup truck in downtown Cleveland.

“As he was driving, he was revving his engine and driving through crosswalks while several pedestrians were nearby,” according to the prosecutorial agency.

Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) officers tried to stop Taylor in his vehicle, but the defendant “suddenly pulled away, striking another vehicle’s bumper.”

Taylor reportedly made a right and drove “left of center, over the double yellow lines, and ran a red light.” Authorities say he then made another left and headed toward oncoming traffic. He apparently “nearly struck several pedestrians in crosswalks, some on foot and some on bicycles.”

As he continued driving away from police, the suspect hit four vehicles at a stoplight, “causing his front passenger wheel to break off,” per the prosecutor’s office. Now on three wheels, video shows the pickup truck hit a bicycle lane flex post before traveling into the “green-labeled, clearly marked bicycle lane on the far right shoulder, sideswiping a sixth vehicle and striking” Mays.

Authorities say Taylor continued to drive “while dragging Mays” and hitting another vehicle. The suspect allegedly crashed into a roundabout and ran for several blocks.

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Investigators said Mays had become lodged in the truck’s wheel well and dragged for about a half mile.

Prosecutors say that in “an effort to evade police, Taylor informed several good Samaritans that he was homeless and needed clothing. The good Samaritans provided him with the clothing. He changed into the clothing and fled the area on foot.”

Mays was found “in the grass several feet behind Taylor’s truck,” police said. Emergency responders brought Mays to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later, or 90 minutes after he was hit.

“Surveillance footage and witness testimony linked Taylor to the crimes,” prosecutors said. Three days after the crash, Taylor turned himself in and was arrested.

A GoFundMe set up for Mays said he was “a beautiful soul who loved everyone and was loved by everyone. He was a God-fearing man with a free soul, hardworking and strong. He loved to dance and can be seen supporting so many different causes.”

The post Man driving wrong way on 3 wheels smashes into bicyclist and lodges him in wheel well before dragging him nearly half a mile to his death: Cops first appeared on Law & Crime.