Woman sentenced to nearly 10 years for DUI crash that killed bicyclist in SLO

A San Luis Obispo County judge has sentenced an Oregon woman to nine years and eight months in state prison for a 2024 hit-and-run collision that killed an 86-year-old bicyclist on South Higuera Street, closing one chapter of a case that shook the local cycling community and left a family marking an anniversary in grief rather than celebration.

Judge Rita Federman imposed the sentence Tuesday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, delivering the maximum term allowed by law for the charges and special allegations to which the defendant had pleaded guilty, according to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office.

The defendant, Vanessa Rose Noblitt, 45, pleaded guilty last month to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, driving with a blood alcohol concentration of.08% or more causing injury, and hit-and-run, CalCoastNews reported. As part of her plea, she admitted her blood alcohol concentration exceeded.15%, that she inflicted great bodily injury on each victim, and to an aggravating factor based on the victim's particular vulnerability.

What Happened on South Higuera Street

The collision occurred on July 23, 2024, when Noblitt was driving southbound on South Higuera Street and drifted into the bike lane, striking 86-year-old Saul Goldberg and his longtime riding companion, Martin Suits, according to the District Attorney's Office. Both men had been riding together in the southbound bike lane at the time.

The impact knocked both cyclists to the ground. Suits suffered a concussion and other injuries. Goldberg died from his injuries several days later.

Rather than stopping, Noblitt fled the scene, prosecutors said. She was arrested after striking a parked car in a nearby mobile home park. A subsequent blood test determined her blood alcohol concentration was.31% — nearly four times the legal limit of.08% in California.

A Marriage of 64 Years, and an Anniversary Never Celebrated

At Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Goldberg's wife, Carol, read a victim impact statement describing the life the couple had built together and the plans they had at the time of his death. The two had been married for 64 years and were preparing to celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary in Australia that December, she told the court.

"I was married to Saul for 64 years. At the time of this tragedy, Saul and I were looking forward to celebrating our 65th wedding anniversary on December 5th in Australia," Carol Goldberg said, according to the District Attorney's Office. "Every day now, I wake up to a reality I never chose: a life without my best friend and the love of my life. Through a reckless and selfish act, Vanessa Noblitt took the life not only of my husband, but also of a caring and generous father and grandfather."

"I live each day carrying a loss that can never be repaired, and I will miss everything about Saul for the rest of my life," she said.

Prosecutors described Goldberg as a devoted husband, father, and grandfather.

DA Dan Dow: 'The Decision to Drive Impaired Is Always Avoidable'

Following the sentencing, District Attorney Dan Dow issued a statement saying Saul Goldberg should have finished his bike ride and gone home to the family that loved him.

"Instead, a choice to drive with a blood alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit took him from his wife of 64 years, his children, and his grandchildren, and left his friend injured on the side of the road," Dow said. "Our hearts are with Mrs. Goldberg, the Goldberg family, and Mr. Suits. No sentence can repair a loss like this, but our criminal and victim justice system has held this defendant accountable with an appropriate prison sentence."

Dow closed with a direct appeal to Central Coast residents: "To everyone in our community: the decision to drive impaired is always avoidable. Please plan ahead for a sober ride."

Strike Conviction and What Comes Next

Noblitt's conviction for DUI causing great bodily injury is classified as a violent strike under California's Three Strikes Law, meaning it will carry significant consequences for her criminal record going forward.

The court also ordered Noblitt to pay restitution to the victims, though the amount has not yet been determined. A restitution hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2027, in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.

The case has resonated in a community where cycling is woven into daily life — from students commuting to Cal Poly to retirees riding the corridors along South Higuera and other arterial streets. Collisions involving bikes and motor vehicles remain a persistent safety concern on the Central Coast, and incidents in which drivers leave the scene often draw particular scrutiny from residents and advocacy groups who argue that bike-lane infrastructure alone cannot protect riders from impaired drivers.

For the Goldberg family, the sentence brings a measure of legal closure more than two years after the crash — though as both the family and the district attorney noted this week, no prison term can restore what was lost on that July afternoon in 2024.