Motorist pleads not guilty in fatal hit-and-run that killed cyclist in Huntington Beach

A Long Beach woman who allegedly struck three bicyclists on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach last month — critically injuring two and killing a Garden Grove pastor and father of four — answered to hit-and-run charges in court this week.

Amber Kristine Calderon, 43, appeared in a Westminster courtroom Thursday, where she pleaded not guilty to three felony hit and run charges stemming from the early morning Oct. 20 crash near the highway’s intersection with Newland Street.

Prosecutors allege around 6:47 a.m., Calderon drove her vehicle, a 2006 gold Mercedes-Benz E-Class, onto the shoulder of southbound lanes where the cyclists were riding, striking all three men before driving through a parking lot kiosk, despite the fact her car had a flat tire, was missing a side mirror and had sustained damages to its hood, windshield and front bumper.

A motorist who witnessed the crash pursued Calderon and blocked her vehicle while a parking attendant radioed State Parks police, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office. Huntington Beach police immediately located the Mercedes less than a mile away and arrested Calderon.

In the days that followed, a “ghost bike” memorial was installed along PCH where the collision took place, honoring 45-year-old Eric John Williams, who founded Community Church of Garden Grove in 2011. A vigil honoring Williams took place in Garden Grove, where he lived and previously served as a city commissioner.

Calderon was released from jail on Oct. 24 after posting $100,000 bond. She is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 13 for a pre-trial hearing, according to Orange County Superior Court records.