LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A man accused of striking and killing a cyclist in Lakewood last weekend has been formally charged in the case, according to district attorney's office.
Ryan Scott Montoya, 29, faces a host of charges: vehicular homicide — DUI; vehicular homicide — reckless driving; infliction of serious bodily injury to a vulnerable road user; driving under the influence — second alcohol related offense; improper changing of lanes; and passing on the left improperly.
Police said Montoya on Sunday morning veered into the path of cyclist Gwen Inglis, 46, as she was riding her bike on the designated bike lane on West Alameda Parkway.
Montoya remained on scene and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs. The type of drug was not disclosed by police.
Jerod Ridge rode with Inglis and her husband on the Black Swift Cycleton Team. He says Inglis and her husband were training at the time of the crash. According to Ridge, Inglis' husband witnessed the moment the sedan struck his wife.
“He’s a mess, you know? How you would imagine if your spouse passed away right in front of you,” Ridge said.
Inglis husband was not injured, though prosecutors said Montoya came close to striking him before hitting Gwen Inglis.
Inglis was the national champion road race winner in her age group, women 45-49. She recently finished No. 8 in the Pueblo Classic on April 24.
“She was one of the elite cyclists in the nation,”Ridge said.
He said she was known on her bike and off her bike for her big and generous heart.
"She’s calm, she’s peaceful; she makes you feel like the only person in the room,” Ridge said.