UPDATE 28 March 2026: The Newport Beach Police Department released a statement on Thursday saying it served a warrant in the city of Corona and arrested a suspect identified as Samir Weiss, charging them with assault with a deadly weapon.
Two elite Southern California cyclists narrowly avoided serious injury on Saturday 21 March when they were deliberately targeted by aggressive drivers during a pre-race training session along Pacific Coast Highway in Newport Beach.
USA National Criterium Champion Luke Fetzer and Valley of the Sun winner Ben Byra were riding in the bike lane while preparing for a Sunday race when a blue BMW pulled up behind them and repeatedly moved to within inches of their rear wheels. Footage of the encounter shows Byra forced to bunny hop onto the sidewalk to avoid being struck, while the driver then surged toward Fetzer in the same threatening manner.
The confrontation did not end there. Passengers in a second vehicle — a black and red Corvette — joined in verbally, hurling homophobic slurs and throwing a water bottle at the pair. Further down the road, occupants of both vehicles reportedly exited their cars in what Byra described as an attempt to physically confront the riders, who were travelling at 30 to 40 miles per hour on a descent.
Newport Beach Police took an incident report, though no active investigation has been announced.
Fetzer, 20, is no stranger to the spotlight. The reigning USA U23 Criterium National Champion burst onto the national scene as a teen, winning both the Criterium and the Track Omnium Championships. He currently races for Team Cadence Cyclery while adding to his palmares on SoCal’s competitive criterium circuit.
Although frightening, the incident had little effect on the cyclists race results the following day, with Fetzer finishing 2nd and Byra 15th at the Dominguez Hills Criterium.
Photo Credit: Facebook/luke.fetzer.5
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