Bicyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run

A man cycling to work early Monday was struck by a car and then by a van, police said, and both drivers sped away, leaving Alejandro Gonzalez fatally wounded on an Anaheim street.

Gonzalez, 57, a father of five, was riding to his job at the Anaheim Marriott hotel when he was hit about 5:45 a.m. by a Honda Civic on Orangewood Avenue near Harbor Boulevard, police said. He struck the car’s windshield and was carried 30 yards before he fell to the pavement.

As witnesses were calling for help, they watched in horror as a dark-colored van ran over Gonzalez as he lay in the street, said Sgt. Joe Vargas of the Anaheim Police Department.

“Afterward, the van did stop and it appears [the driver] did look look out and saw what happened, then left,” Vargas said. “For reasons only known to the suspects, they both decided to leave. . . . They are both equally culpable under the law at this point.”

Gonzalez, who also had eight grandchildren, had been married to his wife, Maria, for 31 years, family members said. The couple’s sons range in age from 28 to 8, relatives said, and the youngest, Tony, has Down’s syndrome.

Grieving family members sat in stunned silence Monday afternoon as they tried to grasp what had happened.

“We don’t understand why,” daughter-in-law Zoila Gonzalez said.

Alvaro Gonzalez, 26, was one of three sons who worked at the hotel with their father. He said his father felt safe on his bicycle and didn’t own a car.

“He’d never like to go inside a car,” the son said. “He’d say, ‘No, I’d rather go on my bike.’ ”

At the Marriott, Gonzalez worked in the utility department, which handles kitchen repairs and maintenance. He had been employed there 13 years, said general manager Ned Snavely, who rushed to the family’s home after hearing of the accident.

“It’s tragic, and it really saddens all of us,” Snavely said. “All of us are trying to reach out as best we can.”

A group of co-workers, wearing their hotel uniforms, also comforted the family and one another at Gonzalez’s apartment in Anaheim. They praised Alejandro as a hard worker and a good father who loved holidays, especially Halloween and Christmas.

Witnesses described the first vehicle as a teal-colored, two-door Honda, possibly a Civic. The windshield and hood of the car were apparently damaged at the scene, officials said. The second vehicle was described only as a dark-colored, full-size van.

“Both drivers are at large,” police spokesman Vargas said. “We are making efforts to contact apartment managers and community groups because we feel strongly that these people might reside in that immediate area.”

The incident marks the second time in less than a week that someone has been killed by a suspected hit-and-run driver in Orange County. On Thursday, a 15-year-old honor student was struck and killed as he walked along Pacific Coast Highway near Laguna Beach.

Samsun Phan, who attended Mater Dei High School, was struck and killed by a 1989 or 1990 red Nissan Sentra. That driver made a U-turn and fled, a witness said. The Nissan has damage to its hood, windshield and left-side mirror, California Highway Patrol officers said.

Leaving the scene of a fatal accident can bring a maximum of five years in prison for any driver convicted, and it is a separate charge from any manslaughter prosecution resulting from a collision, said John Anderson, an Orange County deputy district attorney.

“Hit and run doesn’t require that you be at fault in the accident,” Anderson said. “Whether it’s your fault or not and you flee, it can be charged as a felony. It’s a very bad idea [to flee]. If you are involved in an accident, you have a moral and legal responsibility to stay there.”

The prosecutor said proving that drivers know they were involved in accident or caused injury or death can be difficult. But of such cases, he said, “it’s kind of hard to run over something like a person and claim you have no idea it happened.”

A trust fund has been established by the Marriott for the Gonzalez family. Donations may be sent to Pacific Century Bank, Alejandro Gonzalez Trust Fund, 100 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA 92805.