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May 3
1842 - California's first mining district established in SCV; Ygnacio del Valle, chairman [story]
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rodbennett

Rod Bennett was killed while riding his bicycle on Placerita Canyon Road earlier this week.

The driver wanted in connection with a deadly hit-and-run collision turned himself in to the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station early Friday.

California Highway Patrol and Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies located the vehicle that was suspected to be involved in the collision that killed Arroyo Seco Junior High teacher, Rod Bennett, Wednesday afternoon.

Law enforcement found the car in Canyon Country around 3:30 a.m. Friday.

Shortly after locating the vehicle, Lucas James Guidroz turned himself in. He has been booked at the Los Angeles County Santa Clarita Sheriff Station on felony hit-and-run charges.

The Newhall CHP station will be handling the on going investigation.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is encouraged to contact Officer B. Branch at the Newhall CHP Office at 661-294-5540.

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70 Comments

  1. I hope they charge him with murder cause that’s what he did. RIP

  2. John Voshell says:

    Turned himself in lol after we was found out….

  3. Charna Stein says:

    Accidents are accidents, but if you flee, it’s murder.

  4. If you go on his Facebook page he’s not even that old I would say early thirties… so wrong!!!

  5. Yes! Thank you for doing the right thing and turning yourself in! You should have just stayed at the accident

  6. So sad. I know this young man. I just think the whole accident is sad. Lives will change forever. Heartbreaking.

  7. Kris Doyle says:

    People are quick to judge. So very sad for everyone involved, BUT He didn’t murder anyone, he accidentally hit him while driving. I feel for the family of Mr. Bennett as well as Lucas and his family too. Try to put yourself in his shoes before being so mean. Hitting and killing someone is a super scary and freaky situation and he could have been in shock. YES we all agree, he should have stopped, he should have called 911, but he freaked and took off. it’s still “NOT” murder, he didn’t do it on purpose. He’s a kid, I’m sure he feels horrible. My heart goes out to the Bennett family and friends, as well as all of the students at Arroyo Seco RIP. So very, very sorry for your loss.

    • Kris Doyle says:

      Thank you Kristen Singleton

    • Jamie Lewis says:

      I completely agree !!!

    • If Mr. Bennett did not die on impact, then he laid there waiting for the help that never came…until finally died. That is murder. If it had been your husband or son, I’m not sure you would consider how “scared” the person was who killed him and left him there to die.

    • Are you kidding me, you would be singing a different tune if it was your flesh and blood left to die alone on the side of the road. I feel for the kid as well , yes he will have to live the rest of his life knowing he killed someone ,but what he did accident or not was he ran down and murdered someone’s, son, husband,father,teacher and didn’t stop to help this human being, he left him to bleed to death without getting him any medical help. Being scared or freaked out is a darn lame excuse for running down a human being and leaving him on the side of the road to bleed to death. My heart breaks more for the Bennett family .

    • Well said Kris! People need to look up the word Murder! Was there intent? Absolutely not! No one can say for absolute certain what they would do in this split second decision, I myself want to say I’d stop and hope everyone would but you can not say or predict or judge someone’s decision right or wrong whether we agree or not. I do not agree or approve of him fleeing the scene at all! That’s not what I’m saying, just be a lil more compassionate about the whole situation that’s all.

    • Kris Doyle says:

      Tanya Jordan-Romo so true horrible accident is what it is and poor decisions made.
      End of story ?

    • Jesse Roach says:

      Apparently it’s “mean” to tell someone what they did was clearly wrong. Wow

    • Jesse Roach says:

      It wasn’t murder, it’s that the guy left the scene! That’s wrong on so many levels no matter how you want to paint it

    • Kris Doyle says:

      Jesse Roach NO it’s mean to call someone a murder when he had NO intention of killing him.

    • Jen Brickner says:

      It’s total BS to say “he did the right thing and turned himself in.” Everything I’ve read says the CHP found his car at 3:15…AND THEN HE SURRENDERED several hours later. Sorry people, but that’s not noble or ‘the right thing’ in my book.
      What was he doing between Wednesday pm and Friday am?
      Scared, horrible accident, all those things, yes. But you don’t wait for the authorities to come find you and the car.
      So senseless. Lives and families destroyed, not only from a tragic accident but the actions and all that will follow.

    • Kris Doyle yes it was a accident that happened but he made a choice to keep driving and not to stop and help his victim, to even check to see if he was alive , to give him any sort of life saving support. Telling the victims family the driver made poor decisions is a understatement.

    • Btw- 28 is NOT “a kid.”

  8. Thank God he was honest!

  9. Thank God he was honest!

  10. So tragic and sad! People need to be careful! When riding their bikes!

  11. So tragic and sad! People need to be careful! When riding their bikes!

  12. Julie Burgeson says:

    I’m just glad this young man did the right thing. So very sad for both families they need prayers.

  13. Robert Avery says:

    When you leave the scene of an accident there’s usually a reason

  14. Jimmy Margaret Gonzalez

  15. Jay Salter says:

    God has your back just be upfront and honest

  16. Frank Mendez says:

    Prayers to both the victim and lucas. I’m glad he turned himself in. It must have taken a lot of courage to do the right thing.

  17. John de Vos says:

    The point is that he didn’t stop right there. He took off. What if he had stopped after Bennett got hit. Could he have been saved? You don’t take off,PERIOD! Show some balls and accept what you did!

  18. I am so tired of people being so PC when someone runs down a human being and leaves the scene. I have read post stating that the young man ran away because he made a terrible mistake he was scared or he was in shock , accidents are accidents, it took courage to turn himself in, his a nice boy etc. Im sorry but none of those lame excuses cut it with me. Call me heartless if you want but if that was a member of my family, or a friends loved one that he left alone in the street to bleed to death after running them over, I would not feel the least sorry for him. And if most of you were truly honest with yourself you wouldnt either. I’m sure I will get some negtive feedback for my feelings but to be perfectly honest I don’t care . I don’t feel the need for being PC on the subject of murder. My sorrow and prayers go out to the victims family .

    • Teresa Savaikie says:

      Linda thank you for speaking for Mr. Bennett. It is really upsetting when people blame the victim, every time someone is injured or killed out here, the press and some community members constantly blame
      the victim. We lost our son Wyatt last July, Wyatt often spoke of Mr. Bennett and how different and funny he was. This story brought all this right home to me today, our son was only 14, so many blamed him and yet the accident was caught by camera.. Sometimes it seems that some have almost as much compassion for the person who was hit verses the poor victim and their family left behind to mourn their loss. It is just so, so sad. God Bless Mr. Bennett, his family, friends, students, community and all those that knew and loved him.

    • Ryan Pipho says:

      You are obviously very biased and it clear to see. My heart breaks for so many people in this situation. Thus is a tragic accident and unfortunate the way it all turned out. Obviously you hold so much hate in your heart. I’m sorry you can’t see past the hate. My thoughts and prayers go out to all involved including Lucas.

    • God bless you Ryan you are entitled to your opinion . I pray your never in the receiving end of such a accident. An accident is when you do something wrong and take responsibility for it , a crime is when you make the decision to ignore your mistake and run .

  19. God give peace to his family!!

    I am not trying to say anything rude or mean but I have my own opinion just as everyone else….first off again, I hope this wonderful man rests in peace and his family is comforted our Lord.
    LET ME MAKE THIS CLEAR AGAIN THIS…..has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT..
    Earlier today, I saw a woman with her child who looked to be between 9-11 riding their bikes in the CAR LANES on Soledad (close to Bouquet) where there is a LONG BIG BIKE LANE!!
    Why don’t the cyclists utelize these dedicated bike lanes made specifically for them so they are safe!!??

    A lot of them (again has NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS CASE) Don’t care to follow their designated areas and put them selves in danger.

  20. Yaeko Tsuboi says:

    we miss you teacher/ <3

  21. Omg how awful. May he rest in. Peace?

  22. Shirley says:

    He left a human being laying in the street…he may not have died…it WAS murder.

  23. In due time, the Bennett will reach out to Lucas. Forgiveness is ?.

  24. Ribbon Rabbit says:

    Just wondering if this adult, not kid, that hit another human and left him there to die would have turned himself in had not the CHP located the car and the cars owner?

    So it took finding the car to give this killer a change of heart. I think not.

  25. Justin R. says:

    You all don’t know Lucas Guidroz and his issues. Feel bad for the victim and his family, feel bad for the Guidroz family but let the courts handle Lucas.

  26. John says:

    Why is everyone so quick to judge this as an “accident”? We will never know if he was drunk or high will we because he turned himself in days later. What if he was going 90 mph in a 50 zone? Is that an accident? An accident is me slipping on ice. I’m sorry, but you don’t just hit a guy on a bike while sober, going the speed limit with your phone in the center console. Good grief people, is anybody held accountable anymore? how dare we sit here and talk about forgiveness in such a sanctimonious And self righteous way when we are not even the slightest way affected by this tragic “accident.” Forgiveness is between him, God and the victims. Stop throwing that term around like its an easy thing to do when it doesn’t even affect you. Btw….stop calling him a kid. He’s 28. If you think that’s a kid you’re part of the problem and you most likely have a 40 yr old “kid” living in your basement, working part time because the “system” is against him.

    • Justin R. says:

      Exactly John. Read my post above. Sounds like you and I both have a sense of the back story here and there is one.

  27. TIm C. says:

    I’m sure Lucas is the man the Guidroz family raised. If they are upset, it should be directed at themselves for raising such a flawed character. The biggest tragedy for the Guidroz family is the perpetuation of poor behavior. If justice is served, Lucas and the rest of his family will have a long time to think about their wrongs. Unfortunately, they probably won’t.

  28. Teresa Savaikie says:

    Dear John, my heart is not filled with hate. With that said, so many run through this valley forgetting to realize that roads and streets are built for people, as in pedestrians, those riding their bikes and cars. We all share the road and yet there is little consequence for breaking the law, we have an unfunded sheriff’s department to help curb human behavior, our speed limits are not survivable, our roads lack proper signage and warning signs to bring folks out of brain pause. I not only blame those breaking the law, speeding and running a red light, through an intersection and into my son, breaking several laws before he even hit my son, I also believe that we need a plan to reduce such senseless loss of life, in my heart I believe that the roadways and streets we all utilize are dangerous especially for the most vulnerable ie pedestrians, bicyclists, etc., and I do believe that people that break the laws or drive away from a horrific accident needs to be punished. if we as a society continue to slap people on the wrist for taking a life – what is there to keep people from breaking the laws? I believe need change on the front end, higher penalties, more enforcement, investment in improving safety for all of us that have a right to use these roads. I will never forgive the man that hit my son he has given us NO reason (as in zero) but I am not a hater. So please do not judge me nor tell me how I feel in my heart unless you have walked in my shoes. Mostly I just feel broken to pieces as I am sure Mr. Bennett’s family is. Yes, I feel sorry for all involved but my heart aches for the victim and his family, friends, students, peers, our community – such another senseless loss, just gone, he is gone, just gone forever leaving the family to pick up the pieces. That is their new reality and if it is wrong to feel and have more empathy, compassion and understanding for the true victim in this matter, then so be it but that does not make me a hater. Our roads are dangerous and our city has a duty to protect all of us that use them and unfortunately sometimes we need stricter laws to curb bad human behavior and we need roads that do not encourage dangerous behavior.

  29. Laura Conant says:

    I wonder if the POS turned himself in or did he see the police outside his house and had not choice but to say what he did.

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