Six weeks after a speeding driver tore through a Filipino cycling group ride on Zallaq Highway in Bahrain, a court has delivered its verdict: seven years in prison for the man who killed two riders and fled.
In a swift judicial process, Bahrain’s High Criminal Court convicted the 29-year-old defendant on five counts — vehicular manslaughter, reckless driving, failure to assist the victims, methamphetamine possession, and destruction of property, according to reporting from Gulf Daily News.
The incident occurred at dawn on Friday 20 March 2026, the second day of Eid, when the defendant’s vehicle struck four members of the Laspag Cycling Group from behind.
Francisco “Franz” Abatayo Delostrico, 62, and Mario Valdez, 47 — both dedicated cyclists and longtime Filipino expatriates — died at the scene. Medical reports indicate Valdez suffered skull fractures and lacerations, while Abatayo’s shoulder, leg, neck, and skull were broken. The two other cyclists survived with injuries.
Under questioning, the defendant, who has not been publicly named, said a dropped cigarette had drawn his eyes from the road at the critical moment. He admitted fleeing the scene, abandoning his vehicle at a nearby beach, and walking home before informing his family. He was arrested the following morning and later cooperated with police regarding the car’s whereabouts.
Toxicology and court records show he used methamphetamine in the days preceding the crash. Post-arrest claims of psychiatric instability and suicidal ideation were later deemed unfounded by hospital staff.
For Bahrain’s tight-knit Filipino community, the conviction brings some closure to a tragedy that shook the expatriate diaspora.
Community leader Ric Advincula had previously described the men as friends out enjoying a routine early-morning training ride — a pastime that should have carried no mortal risk.
Franz Delostrico and Mario Valdez leave behind friends, colleagues, and a cycling community that has not forgotten them.
Photo Credit: Laspag Cycling Group (LCG)
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