Cyclist dead, 2 others injured in bike crash at World Police and Fire Games

One cyclist has died and two others were seriously injured after a crash at an event at the 2015 World Police and Fire Games.

It happened at around 12:20 p.m. Thursday at Prince William Forest Park in Triangle.

Police say the competitors were traveling downhill on their bicycles during the event when one bicyclist suffered a front tire blowout triggering a chain-reaction crash involving other riders.

Three cyclists suffered severe injuries and were taken to an area hospital for treatment. One of the athletes, 48-year-old Carlos Silva, an investigator with the civil police force in Brazil, died at Inova Fairfax Hospital at around 5 p.m. from his injuries. The two other injured participants, a 44-year-old man and a 43-year-old man, are in critical condition.

Police say all of the cyclists were wearing proper equipment at the time of the crash. Fire and rescue personnel from Prince William County were standing by at the event and rendered immediate aid.

"On behalf of the Prince William County Police Department, I want to express my sincere condolences to the family of the deceased athlete, Carlos Silva," said acting Prince William County Police Chief Maj. Steve Thompson. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the other injured athletes, fellow teammates, and the public safety family throughout the world."

Silva leaves behind a 13-year-old daughter. He traveled to Virginia from Brazil for the competition and he had some family members living here in the D.C. area who came out to support him.

"Yesterday, we talked a little bit of the World Police and Fire Games, and the only thing he said to me about his life and his pleasure to be here -- that he loved what he did, he loved to be here, he loved to train, and most of all, he loved his career and his daughter," said Alexandre Manzan, a teammate of Silva.

There are more than 12,000 competitors from over 70 countries competing at the World Police and Fire Games with events being held throughout northern Virginia. This event is held every two years in different cities all over the world and it has been going on since 1985. There has been only one other death at this event -- a cardiac arrest in 1993.