Members of the bicycling community are grieving after a Saturday night collision in Montclair left two riders dead. Mourners have been gathering since on the street where it happened.
Through Sunday, Oct. 25, and into Monday morning, Oct. 26, visitors left bouquets, colorful balloons and candles bearing images of saints. They also made signs and set down poured-out drink cans along the sidewalk. "It just hits too close to home," said Nadine Zaragosa, an Ontario resident and fellow cyclist.
According to a Montclair police news release, about 30 riders were heading eastbound on Kingsley Street shortly after 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24, when a westbound vehicle struck several of them at the intersection with Tudor Avenue. One bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. Two others were taken to a hospital, and one of them died early Sunday from her injuries.
The San Bernardino County Coroner's Office identified one of the dead as 25-year-old Robert Garcia-Umanzor of Pomona. The other victim was taken to a hospital outside the county, so further details were not available, said Jenny Smith, a spokesperson for the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. Another cyclist suffered major injuries and remains in fair condition, and one more had a cut to the head.
Witnesses told police the group was on "a self-coordinated Halloween ride" that was not sponsored, organized or affiliated with the city of Montclair. The driver left the scene, but police said that with help from other officers and witnesses they soon identified him as 38-year-old Montclair resident Valentin Alberto Rodriguez, who lives near the site. He was arrested early Sunday on suspicion of driving under the influence and causing injury or death, felony hit-and-run involving death or permanent, serious injury, and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated. He was booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Jesus Carranza, who lives on Kingsley Street, said he heard about the crash while at a friend's home nearby, saw police lights and checked security cameras at the house, which captured the whole event. He called it "heartbreaking, devastating." He said he could still see the aftermath on the road Sunday. "It's unfortunate what alcohol does to some people," he said, adding that he prays the families can heal.
Federal figures show the scale of the problem. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 1,155 bicyclists were killed in crashes with vehicles in 2023, its latest data. The agency also reported that preventable deaths rose 37% over ten years, from 1,015 in 2015 to 1,392 in 2024. Cycling deaths tend to peak in warmer months starting in June and stay high through October.
Zaragosa and her neighbor Karina Villasenor, both Ontario residents and mothers, left flowers at the site on Monday. They did not know the victims but said riding in the area is "busy and scary." "We thought 'That could've been one of us,'" Villasenor said. They still took their usual ride Monday morning and urged cyclists to use lights, reflectors and loud horns. "Slow down, pay more attention, stop drinking and driving," Villasenor said.
A memorial ride organized by several bicycling groups and residents is planned for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, at Myra Lynn Park, 4540 Meredith St., in Riverside. The announcement said riders go "with heavy hearts, but with love and respect for two of bike life's finest who were taken from us far too soon."
