A 67-year-old man was killed after a car crashed into the back of his bicycle Friday on a Cobb County road and sped off, police said.
Elmer Josue Santizo-Gomez, 24, was found at a Kennesaw residence and arrested. He is charged with DUI, hit-and-run, first-degree vehicular homicide and improper passing of bicyclist.
Arturo Vela Mantilla was riding his bike westbound in the right lane along Barrett Parkway around midnight, Cobb police spokesman Sgt. Wayne Delk said. Despite the bike being equipped with a headlight and taillight, a silver Honda Civic driven by Santizo-Gomez crashed into the back of it near Crater Lake Drive, Delk added.
Mantilla was thrown from his bike, Delk said. He was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
By the time officers responded to the scene, Delk said Santizo-Gomez had already fled. A witness provided responding officers with information that led to an identification of the suspect.
The crash happened two days before another Cobb County incident in which the suspect was also charged with DUI.
John Lloyd, 47, was riding southbound in the right turn lane of Cherokee Street on a Harley-Davidson preparing to turn onto Lake Acworth Drive when a GMC Sierra driven by William Akin exited a gas station and entered the path of the motorcycle, Delk said. Lloyd tried to avoid striking Akin’s vehicle, but the motorcycle overturned, Delk said.
Lloyd, who was thrown from the bike, was taken to Kennestone with serious injuries. Akin was taken into custody at the scene and charged with DUI, failure to yield and serious injury by vehicle.
