Alton Saceaux killed by drunk driver

A good man is gone after being struck by a drunk driver last night on South Union rd. I have only met Alton Saceaux a handful of times but he was one of the nicest people if not the nicest person I have ever met. He was a well-known member of the Bakersfield Cycling community and well respected. It is a huge loss to not have him with us anymore. My deepest thoughts and well wishes go out to his family and friends.

Rest in Peace Alton


Here is the News article Found on Bakersfield.com.

"A 55-year-old Bakersfield bicyclist, who once rode to Canada by himself, was killed Monday night by a suspected drunken driver, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The bicyclist, Alton Saceaux, was in the right hand lane of two southbound lanes when a Ford F-350 pickup driven by 67-year-old Douglas Kaiser struck him from behind, officers said.

The incident happened at 10:43 p.m. north of Kaiser Lane, officers said. Kaiser left the scene but returned later when a driving under the influence investigation was begun.

Kaiser was arrested on charges of vehicular manslaughter while driving drunk, felony drunken driving and hit and run, officers said.

Saceaux as a 50-year-old in 2003 rode alone on a 1,367-mile cycling trip from Bakersfield to Victoria, British Columbia.

The trip took 16 days, four more than he planned. He said he took the arduous trek to prove he could do it and show that it was better to achieve something difficult, rather than just be comfortable.

In interviews about that trip, he talked about the importance of not making a mistake that would cost him his life. He said a bicyclist has to pretend no one else can see him, and then do everything to avoid a collision."