Santa Ana – Orange County prosecutors have filed upgraded charges of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated against Amber Kristine Calderon, a 43-year-old Long Beach woman, after toxicology results confirmed the presence of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and marijuana in her system when she drove onto the shoulder of Pacific Coast Highway and hit three bicyclists, killing Eric John Williams, a 45-year-old father of four and critically injuring two of his friends in an early morning hit-and-run crash in October.
The driver, who was on her way to work, did not stop after hitting the three bicyclists despite having a flat tire and obvious damage to her car. Instead, she continued driving another 2/3 mile and blowing through a state park parking lot kiosk without paying before being blocked in by another driver who witnessed the crash and followed her to the parking lot.
Calderon is now charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence, driving under the influence of drugs causing bodily injury, a violation of Section 11395(b)(1) of the Health and Safety Code, possession of hard drugs with two or more prior convictions, one felony count of hit and run causing permanent injury or death, and two felony counts of hit and run with injury. She faces a maximum sentence of 12 years and four months.
In addition to the upgraded charges, an Orange County Superior Court judge also granted the prosecution’s request to give Calderon a Watson advisement, which warned Calderon that if she drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol she can be charged with murder. Calderon was also ordered not to drive, not to consume alcohol or drugs without a valid prescription, not to possess drugs without a valid prescription, and not to be in any establishment where the primary item of sale is marijuana.
The charges were upgraded after toxicology results from the Orange County Sheriff’s Crime Lab were returned on December 10, 2025, seven weeks after the deadly crash.
Calderon is scheduled to be back in court on February 20, 2026.
On Monday October 20, 2025, at about 6:47 a.m., Calderon was driving southbound on Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach, north of Newland Street, when she is accused of driving onto the shoulder of the road and into a group three bicyclists who were riding together on the shoulder. One of the bicyclists, 45-year-old Eric John Williams, died at the scene. The two other bicyclists suffered serious injuries, including spinal fractures, broken ribs, a broken ankle, as well as cuts and bruises.
Despite having significant damage to her hood, windshield, front bumper and losing her passenger side mirror at the site of the collision, Calderon is accused of driving on a flat tire for another 2/3 of a mile to a beach parking lot at Magnolia Street and driving past the parking kiosk without paying.
A parking attendant flagged her down before a witness to the crash blocked Calderon in with his vehicle and told the parking attendant not to let her leave because she had just hit three bicyclists. The parking attendant radioed for the California State Parks Police to respond.
Calderon was arrested on suspicion of felony hit and run resulting in death or injury, gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, felony driving under the influence causing death or injury, and possession of a hard drug with a prior conviction.
“Four young children will wake up Christmas morning for the first time without their father because of the selfish decision of a stranger to drive under the influence of drugs, and that is an image that I will never be able to get out of my head,” said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “The tragedy of driving under the influence is not the tragedy of one family; it is a tragedy felt by all our entire community, and it is a tragedy that was 100 percent avoidable. Ms. Calderon set in motion a series of events that would rip a young family apart through no fault of its own, and those young children will bear the consequences of her actions as they celebrate all of life’s milestones without their father. We will vigorously advocate for the victims in this case and do everything we can to ensure she pays the maximum consequence allowable under the law.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Devin Campbell of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.