One dead, four injured as car hits bike racers

A Brownsville man is dead and at least four people remained hospitalized Monday in Rio Grande Valley hospitals after being struck by a car while riding in the third annual Bike Tour Matamoros-Playa Bagdad Sunday morning.

Alejandro Alvarez, 34, of Brownsville, died at the scene of the accident. Alvarez suffered injuries to his skull and throughout his body, the Mexican news outlet Agencia Reforma reported in a Sunday story. Fourteen others were injured at the scene. Their conditions were unknown.

The accident happened at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, just 15 minutes and seven miles into the race, after the cyclists began their ride to Playa Bagdad, Reforma reported.

Edgar Omar Castro, 14, also of Brownsville, was listed in critical but stable condition Monday afternoon at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Harlingen, VBMC spokeswoman Teri Retana said.

She confirmed that two other people who were in the race were being treated at Valley Baptist Medical Center-Brownsville, but said she could not provide the names to the newspaper.

A fourth person who also was injured in Sunday's accident was transferred to Valley Regional Medical Center, Retana said.

The bike race participants were allegedly struck by Jesse Lopez, 29, who drove a 1989 Gran Marquis. Lopez was driving drunk and under the influence of drugs, Matamoros newspapers reported in their Monday editions.

A total of 452 cyclists participated in the race, which was 21 miles, but had to be cancelled due to the accident.

jborjon@brownsvilleherald.com