Death of cyclists renews calls for better safety on Ventura Country PCH

The stretch of Pacific Coast Highway between Ventura and Santa Barbara is the kind of road Newbury Park residents load bikes onto the car for — a ribbon of pavement between the bluffs and the surf that draws riders, runners and beachgoers from across the region. It's also, by the account of those who know it best, a corridor where a recreational ride can turn fatal in an instant.

That reality arrived on June 11, when a suspected drunk driver struck a group of three cyclists riding in a designated bike lane near Solimar Beach, roughly four miles north of downtown Ventura. Kellie Standish, 33, of Bend, Oregon, and William Colby Tucker, 39, of Ventura — a couple — were killed. Annie Adams, the third rider, suffered major injuries.

The driver, 24-year-old Gabriel Esquivel, faces two counts of second-degree murder along with allegations of DUI causing injury and driving on a license suspended for prior DUIs, the Thousand Oaks Acorn (Newbury Park) reported. He has pleaded not guilty and is due in court Oct. 20.

Now, the survivors' friends are turning grief into a campaign — and they're asking Ventura County leaders and Caltrans to treat PCH's danger as an infrastructure problem, not just a driver problem.

"Two or three feet of separation"

At the Ventura County Board of Supervisors' Sept. 1 meeting, Adams made the case plainly: while the driver chose to get behind the wheel impaired, better design could have saved her friends' lives.

"It's no doubt that this incident took place because of a selfish motive to drive drunk," Adams told supervisors, according to the Acorn. "But I'm also very confident that, had we had better bike infrastructure, had we had a safe, protected bike lane to ride in on PCH, we wouldn't be here today."

The numbers underscore the risk. California Highway Patrol crash data, cited by the Acorn, show more than 10 deaths and 35 injuries along PCH between Emma Wood State Beach and Seacliff over 12 years — a count that excludes the June crash and other recent accidents. To the south, Malibu's stretch of PCH has faced a similar string of speed-related deaths, prompting a suite of public-safety measures along that iconic shoreline.

Myles Standish, Kellie's father, rode that same coastal stretch with his daughter. He told supervisors through tears that a simple physical barrier would likely have made the difference.

"For 33 years, I had the privilege of being Kellie's father until she was killed," he said. "Two or three feet of separation, a Jersey barrier, and my daughter would likely be here today. Nothing you will do will bring my daughter back. But if you act, you can prevent a parent from the same horrible pain and grief that I've endured."

A group born from friendship and loss

In the weeks after the crash, Adams and several friends formed Safe Rec Ventura, a coalition advocating for safer pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure along the corridor.

"We're a coalition of friends, cyclists, runners, surfers and beachgoers who are far too familiar with the danger of this roadway," said Morgan Stickney, who helped found the group and was friends with Standish and Tucker.

Among the members is Greg Francis, who had planned to join the June 11 ride but stayed home because his wife was ill. His last exchange with Tucker haunts him: Francis texted "No go" at 5:40 that evening. Tucker replied, "Message received. Next time."

"I'll never get the promised next time ride call," Francis said.

The group has already sent more than 250 letters to local and state officials since July, calling for stronger safety measures on a road that draws riders not just from across the region but from across the country.

What they're asking for

Safe Rec Ventura's demands center on speed and physical separation. The group is urging county officials to collaborate with Caltrans on funding and safety priorities, expedite a safety study of the corridor, and make targeted improvements near Emma Wood State Beach and the Solimar, Faria and Rincon beach areas.

Some changes are already coming — just not far enough, advocates say. Caltrans is replacing the 91-year-old Ventura Overhead Bridge in a $68 million project that will add a Class 1 bike path and a pedestrian hybrid beacon between the Omer Rains Coastal Bike Trail and Emma Wood State Beach. Safe Rec Ventura wants those improvements extended north toward Rincon Beach, with greater separation between cyclists and vehicle traffic than the current striped bike lanes provide.

Why it matters in Newbury Park

For Conejo Valley residents, PCH north of Ventura is a favorite destination — a scenic ride to the beach that requires navigating exactly the kind of high-speed shoulder the coalition is trying to change. Cyclists from Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park regularly trailer or pedal to the coast for rides along the Emma Wood-to-Rincon stretch, making the safety debate there a local one in every sense.

The next chapter unfolds in two places: a Ventura County courtroom on Oct. 20, where Esquivel is scheduled to appear, and the county's permitting and funding processes, where Safe Rec Ventura hopes pressure from residents — including those in inland neighborhoods like Newbury Park — can accelerate change.

Adams, still recovering from physical and emotional injuries, framed her appeal to supervisors as a promise to her friends.

"As the sole survivor of this incident, I urge you to collaborate with Caltrans and make this road safe so there's no more fatalities, no more injuries and no more fear recreating next to our beautiful coast," she said.

Those who want to learn more or get involved can find information through Safe Rec Ventura.