The Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office in Georgia announced on Friday 11 September 2026 that the man who struck and killed amateur cyclist Carlos Moreno Gutierrez in October 2025 has been sentenced to prison, nearly a year after the crash devastated the local cycling community.
Lane William Keyes, 43, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea on Wednesday 09 September before a judge in the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit. He admitted to five counts of homicide by vehicle, four DUI counts, reckless driving, driving on the wrong side of the road and having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle. The judge sentenced him to 15 years, with the first 10 years to be served in prison.
In addition to the prison sentence, Keyes must pay $14,870 in restitution, complete 300 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse treatment, and have no contact with Moreno’s family.
Investigators said Keyes was driving his Rivian R1T pickup at speeds above 90 mph on Hickory Flat Highway and Sugar Pike Road, passing vehicles in no-passing zones and repeatedly crossing the center line before losing control and hitting Moreno, 51, who was riding southbound in the opposite lane. Blood tests taken hours later showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.115 and the presence of THC. The medical examiner listed the cause of death as generalized blunt force trauma.
Moreno, known in local cycling circles as “El Toro” for his climbing strength, was a devoted single father of four and a familiar face with Webb Bridge Cycling, Cycling Alpharetta and the Northern Georgia Cycling Association. Hundreds of riders took part in a memorial ride honoring him days after his death.
Photo Credit: Moreno family, CCSO
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