Cyclist killed in hit-and-run during ride along beach, California officials say
A woman hit three cyclists on her way to work, killing one, and continued driving until another driver eventually blocked her path, California prosecutors say.
Amber Kristine Calderon, 43, of Long Beach, has been charged in connection with the early morning Huntington Beach collision that left 45-year-old Eric John Williams dead and two cyclists seriously injured, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office said in an Oct. 22 news release.
“Human life is precious, and an early morning bike ride with friends turned into what can only be described as a heartbreaking tragedy,” District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in the release. “We are working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is carried out to the fullest extent of the law for Mr. Williams and his loved ones and for the two other bicyclists who survived such a horrific ordeal on what should have been a peaceful ride along the beach.”
Attorney information for Calderon was not immediately available.
Early morning highway collision
As Calderon drove down Pacific Coast Highway just before 7 a.m. Monday, Oct. 20, she’s accused of hitting the group of cyclists when she drove onto the shoulder, prosecutors said.
Calderon fled after the collision, “despite having significant damage to her hood, windshield, front bumper and losing her passenger side mirror,” according to prosecutors.
For more than half a mile, Calderon drove on a flat tire before entering a beach parking lot without stopping at the kiosk to pay, prosecutors said.
As the parking attendant approached Calderon, a driver who saw the collision used his car to block Calderon from leaving, prosecutors said.
The attendant then called authorities, the district attorney’s office said.
When Huntington Beach police officers arrived, they found the three bicyclists in the roadway, the department said in a Facebook post.
Williams was pronounced dead on scene, while his two cycling partners were taken to a hospital with serious injuries, police said.
‘Family is heartbroken’
Williams, a pastor and father of four, founded the Community Church of West Garden Grove with his wife in 2011, according to the congregation’s website.
The website describes Williams as a dedicated pastor and family man, who loved “to ride and race bikes of all kinds.”
“Eric gave so much of himself to others his time, his heart, his encouragement, and his faith,” the church wrote in a Facebook post.
Beyond his duties as a pastor, though, Williams was a family man.
“It’s impossible to think of Eric and not think of his love for his family,” Sam Knutsen, a friend of Williams, told the Orange County Register.
Williams is survived by his wife of 20 years and their four children, who range from preschool to high school age, his in-laws wrote in GoFundMe.
“Our family is heartbroken,” Williams’ in-laws wrote.
Calderon was “charged with one felony count of hit and run causing permanent injury or death, and two felony counts of hit and run with injury,” prosecutors said.
Results from Calderon’s toxicology tests are pending, prosecutors said.
If convicted as charged, prosecutors said Calderon “faces a maximum sentence of 5 years and four months.”
This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 3:40 PM with the headline "Cyclist killed in hit-and-run during ride along beach, California officials say."
