DUI Offender Accused of Killing Motorcyclist to Stand Trial

By City News Service, image via Shutterstock

A convicted drunken driver accused of killing a motorcyclist in an alcohol-fueled head-on crash near Anza must stand trial for second-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled Friday.

Kenneth Alan Hoddick, 68, of Aguanga could face 15 years to life in prison if convicted in the Dec. 6 death of 61-year-old Richard Michael Ray of Anza.

Following a preliminary hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Davis found there was sufficient evidence to warrant a trial for the murder count, as well as DUI gross vehicular manslaughter with a sentence-enhancing allegation of being a repeat DUI offender.

Davis scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for June 19 and left Hoddick’s bail set at $1 million. He’s being held at the Southwest Detention Center.

According to the California Highway Patrol, Hoddick was at the wheel of a 1996 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck going southbound on state Route 371, about 15 miles east of Temecula, when he encountered Ray coming from the opposite direction on his motorcycle.

Witnesses alleged that Hoddick was weaving all over the roadway and braking frequently moments before the collision.

The truck and motorcycle were each traveling about 50 mph when Hoddick allegedly veered directly into Ray’s path, hitting him head-on, according to CHP Officer Mike Lassig.

He said Ray was ejected from his bike, suffering major injuries, and was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.

Hoddick tried to flee on foot, but was chased down and stopped by witnesses, Lassig said.

The defendant was taken to Inland Valley Medical Center in Wildomar for treatment of minor chest injuries and was booked into jail the following day.

According to court records, Hoddick has two prior misdemeanor DUI convictions from 2006. Under state law, when a person has been convicted of impaired driving and has received warnings of the consequences of driving while intoxicated, he or she can be charged with murder for killing someone in a DUI crash.