Alleged drunk driver crashes into large group of cyclists in Montclair, killing 2
A Halloween-themed group bicycle ride in Montclair ended in tragedy Saturday night after an allegedly drunk driver plowed into several riders, killing two, authorities said.
According to the Montclair Police Department, the crash was reported in the area of Kingsley Street and Tudor Avenue at about 10:39 p.m. Investigations revealed that about 30 bicyclists, as part of a self-coordinated Halloween ride, were riding eastbound on Kingsley when a driver collided with several individuals.
The driver fled the scene immediately following the collisions.
Police said one bicyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. He was identified on Monday as 25-year-old Robert Garcia Umanzor. Fellow cyclists fondly called him Bobby and said he loved to ride.
"He's full of life, dancing around. Always enjoying everyone's vibe," said friend Olivia Gonzales.
An additional rider, identified by friends as 30-year-old Rumor Ortiz, died at a local hospital. They say she was mother to a little girl.
"She was so fun. She was so down to earth," said Ortiz's high school friend Leslie Hurtado. "It sucks that someone took her like that. ... To go out like that is horrible; she was so young."
Another person was hospitalized with major injuries. They remain in stable condition. An additional rider suffered minor injuries and declined treatment, police said.
Law enforcement later identified the driver and found him at his home about a mile from the crash scene. The man, identified as 38-year-old Valentin Alberto Rodriguez, was arrested on suspicion of DUI causing injury or death, felony hit-and-run involving death and gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, at about 2:40 a.m. Sunday. He was booked into the West Valley Detention Center.
"We were able to deploy resources immediately, so detectives were out and able to tie all the pieces together and take the suspect into custody," said Montclair PD Lt. Rick Dominguez.
A memorial of flowers and balloons marked the corner where the collision happened, with family members of the victims stopping to pay their respects throughout the day Sunday.
