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CRASH BRYANBENNETT—KALAMAZOOGAZETTE-MLIVEMEDIAGROUP Kalamazoo Public Safety Officer Bryan Martin talks on the phone at the scene a er multiple bicyclists were struck in a deadly crash Tuesday in Cooper Township, Mich. The Associated Press COOPER TOWNSHIP, MICH. Police fielded complaints that a pickup truck was be- ing driven erratically just minutes before the vehicle slammed into a group of bicyclists in western Mich- igan, killing five, authori- ties said. At least four more bicy- clists were injured in the crash Tuesday night in Ka- lamazoo County's Cooper Township, including one who was in critical condi- tion Wednesday. The truck driver is in custody but has not been charged. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the fami- lies of the victims," county prosecutor Jeffrey Getting said Tuesday night. "I can't even begin to imagine what they're going through." The driver of the pickup, described as a 50-year-old western Michigan man, fled from the wrecked vehi- cle, but police caught him a short time later. State po- lice are assisting in the on- going investigation, Kalam- azoo County Undersher- iff Paul Matyas said in an email Wednesday. "Mythoughts andprayers are with the people of Ka- lamazoo and particularly the cyclists and their fami- lies," Gov. Rick Snyder said in a statement. "What we already know for certain is that Michiganders as a fam- ily are in mourning today as Kalamazoo struggles to un- derstand another senseless tragedy." Authorities began re- ceiving calls about the blue pickup truck about 30 min- utes before the crash, with people complaining "about the manner in which that vehicle was being driven," Getting said. He did not provide details of the er- ratic driving. Several agencies were searching for the pickup when the first report of the crash came in just af- ter 6:30 p.m., he said. No of- ficers were actively pursu- ing the truck at the time it crashed. The bicyclists had been riding as a group. Their names and ages were not immediately released be- cause family members were still being notified. The group included men and women, but no children. Two people were in seri- ous condition at Bronson Methodist Hospital and an- other was in fair condition at Borgess Medical Center. Markus Eberhard was leaving a nearby park after fishing and said he nearly was hit by the pickup. He was unable to warn the bi- cyclists. "I saw a bunch of bikes hit the front of his truck and a couple of them flew," Eberhard told WOOD-TV. Paramedics and fire crews rushed to the scene, Getting said. He declined to answer questions about the suspect and said the man's name would not be released un- til his office has determined which charges he will face. Cooper Township is south of Grand Rapids and just miles from Kalama- zoo. The area still is deal- ing with the random fatal shootings of six people and wounding of two others in February. Jason Dalton, 45, had been picking up riders for Uber at the time of the shootings. He is charged with murder and attempted murder. His attorney told a judge Monday that Dalton is expected to plead insan- ity in his defense. Truck slams into Michigan bi cy cl is ts , ki ll in g 5; 1 c ri ti ca l By Matthew Pennington The Associated Press WASHINGTON IndianPrime Minister Narendra Modi told the U.S. Congress on Wednesday that the world's two largest democracies can anchorstabilityandprosper- ity from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific in an aspirational speechthatglossedovercon- tinuing divisions in the rela- tionship. Modi, who has ushered in closer bilateral ties since taking power two years ago, said that India and the U.S. have overcome "the hesita- tions of history" and called for ever-stronger economic and defense links between the two countries. Speaking in English, Modi used dashes of humor, drawing a parallel between the rough-and-tumble pol- itics of his own nation and the U.S., which he described tongue-in-cheek as "harmo- nious" and well-known for bipartisanship. Modi, a keen advocate of yoga, also refer- enced cultural ties, citing estimates that "more Amer- icans bend for yoga than to throw a curve ball." Modi paid tribute to the role of Congress, including through a civilian nuclear deal in 2008 that lifted U.S. export restrictions on nu- clear technology to India and which is hoped to lead to a contract by mid-2017 for theconstructionofsixpower reactors by U.S.-based West- inghouse Electric Co. He also praised Congress for "refusing to reward" those who preach and prac- tice terrorism. Although Modiavoideddirectmention of Pakistan, he was alluding to lawmakers recentlyblock- ing a proposed, U.S.-sub- sided sale of F-16 fighter jets to India's archrival. "A strong India-U.S. part- nership can anchor peace, prosperityandstabilityfrom Asia to Africa and from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific," Modi said. Modi's 46-minute speech followed years of being shunned in the U.S. because of religious violence in his home state. It came a day after a White House meet- ing with President Barack Obama and was followed by a lunch with congressio- nal leaders and a reception hosted by the House and Senate Foreign Affairs com- mittees. U.S.-India relations have been transformed since Ra- jiv Gandhi in 1985 became the first of five Indian prime ministers to have addressed a joint meeting of Congress. During the Cold War, U.S. was more focused on ties with Pakistan, and many in Washington believed In- dia, with its "non-aligned" foreign policy, was far too friendly with the Soviet Union. Today, the U.S. and Indian militaries conduct more drills with each other than with any other nation. While India resists the no- tion of becoming a U.S. ally, both nation share concern over China's rise and over freedom of navigation in the Asia-Pacific region. Although Modi lauded both nations' common dem- ocratic principles and hailed two heroes of nonviolence, India's Mahatma Gandhi and civil rights leader Mar- tin Luther King Jr., he did not address congressional concerns his government's recordonreligioustolerance and other rights issues. "I wish there had been an emphasis on cooperat- ing with the U.S. and every other democracy on combat- ing all human rights abuses, especiallyhumantrafficking andslavery,"saidRepublican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jer- sey. But the overall response fromlawmakersofbothpar- ties was positive. "We're now standing shoulder-to-shoulder in ways that no one would have imagined a generation ago," Rep.EliotEngel ofnewYork, the top-ranking Democrat ontheHouseForeignAffairs Committee, said of the bilat- eral relationship. SPEECH Modi to Congress: India, US can anchor stability in Asia MANUEL BALCE CENETA — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a joint meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday. P a i d a d v e r t i s e m e n t THURSDAY, JUNE 9, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM | NEWS | 5 B