Gabriel Esquivel charged with two counts of murder after State Route 1 crash kills two cyclists

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Gabriel Esquivel has been charged with two counts of murder in connection with a collision on State Route 1 early this month that claimed the lives of two bicyclists.

Equivel is also facing charges of driving under the influence of alcohol causing injury, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and driving with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit and causing injury to a third bicyclists during the same incident shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

On June 11, 2026, around 7:07 p.m., officers with the California Highway Patrol were sent to a collision on State Route 1 north of Solimar Beach Drive noted the local prosecutor's office.

Officers arrived to find that Esquivel had been driving a Nissan Frontier northbound before allegedly colliding with three northbound bicyclists riding along the right side of the roadway detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

The impact of the collision caused fatal injuries to Kellie Standish who was pronounced dead at the scene and fellow bicyclist William Colby Tucker was transported from the scene to a local hospital where he later died from his injuries noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

The third bicyclist suffered major injuries as a result of the crash shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Investigators saw signs of alcohol impairment at the scene and conducted a DUI field test before arresting Esquivel detailed the local prosecutor's office.

Following a Dec. 19, 2025 DUI arrest in Oxnard, Esquivel received multiple Watson advisements, which warn drivers that if they continue to drive while under the influence and their actions result in the death of another person, they can be charged with murder explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.

Esquivel's murder charges reflect that warning added the prosecutor's office.

He remains in custody without bail and is next due in court on a continuance of his arraignment on June 22 of this year.