A suspected drunk driver killed two bicyclists and seriously injured a third after slamming into a Halloween group ride in a Southern California city, then fleeing and dragging one victim more than a mile before dumping the body, authorities said.
Valentin Alberto Rodriguez, 38, was arrested at his Montclair home early Sunday on suspicion of DUI, felony hit-and-run and gross vehicular manslaughter, the Montclair Police Department announced. The crash occurred around 10:39 p.m. Saturday as roughly 30 riders headed east on Kingsley Street near Tudor Avenue.
One cyclist died at the scene within minutes of impact, police said. A woman transported to a hospital succumbed to her injuries early Sunday. A third rider sustained major injuries but was listed in stable condition.
The driver had been traveling westbound when the vehicle plowed into several members of the group, according to the police account. The force of the collision scattered riders across the roadway in a neighborhood east of Los Angeles.
One victim was dragged for more than a mile and then left in a residential neighborhood, KTLA reported. Police did not include that detail in their official statement, leaving a gruesome gap between the department’s public account and witness or forensic evidence gathered at multiple scenes.
Rodriguez was taken into custody without incident at his nearby residence hours after the crash. The timing of the arrest suggests investigators identified the vehicle and its registered owner rapidly, though police have not disclosed what led them to the suspect.
The ride had drawn approximately 30 participants for a Saturday evening Halloween cycling event, a popular format in Southern California cycling communities where costumed group rides mark the holiday. Kingsley Street, a residential thoroughfare in Montclair, sits in San Bernardino County between Pomona and Ontario.
The deaths mark another violent incident in a region where cyclists have repeatedly faced danger from impaired drivers on shared roadways. Montclair police have not released the names of the deceased pending notification of family members.
The third victim’s stable condition offered a rare positive note in an otherwise devastating outcome for the riding group. Major injuries in such collisions typically involve fractures, head trauma or internal damage requiring extended hospitalization.
Rodriguez faces multiple felony counts that could bring significant prison time if prosecutors secure convictions. Gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated carries a sentence of up to 10 years in California, with additional penalties for the hit-and-run and DUI allegations.
The case joins a growing toll of cycling fatalities in the state, where advocates have pressed for protected bike lanes and stricter enforcement against impaired driving. Saturday’s crash occurred on an unprotected street with no physical barrier between vehicle and bicycle traffic.
Police have asked anyone with information about the crash to contact the Montclair Police Department as the investigation continues.