CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A Cherokee County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty in a DUI crash that killed a Canton cyclist last year.
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On Friday, the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit announced that Lane William Keyes, 43, of Canton, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea Sept. 9 to five counts of homicide by vehicle, four counts of DUI, reckless driving, driving on the wrong side of the road and open container.
Following the plea hearing, a judge sentenced Keyes to 15 years, with the first 10 years to be served in prison.
The charges stem from a crash that happened around 5:48 p.m. on Oct. 19, 2025, on Sugar Pike Road.
According to investigators, Keyes was driving a 2023 Rivian R1T at speeds exceeding 90 mph on Hickory Flat Highway and Sugar Pike Road. Authorities said he passed vehicles in no-passing zones, crossed the center line multiple times and eventually lost control of the truck while traveling northbound on Sugar Pike Road.
Investigators said the truck crossed into the west shoulder and hit Carlos Moreno Gutierrez, 51, of Canton, who was riding his bicycle southbound on the opposite side of the road.
Passersby and first responders attempted lifesaving measures, but Moreno Gutierrez died from his injuries. The medical examiner listed his cause of death as generalized blunt force trauma.
After hitting Moreno Gutierrez, the truck continued off the roadway, hitting a fence, trees and a retaining wall before coming to rest.
Deputies who responded to the scene said they observed signs of impairment and found empty alcoholic beverage cans around the wrecked truck. Authorities said Keyes initially refused medical treatment.
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Nearly four hours after the crash, testing showed Keyes had a blood alcohol concentration of .115, above Georgia’s legal limit of .08. Prosecutors also said his blood tested positive for THC.
Evidence recovered from the Rivian’s camera system showed the vehicle traveling at excessive speeds before the crash, including 99 mph on Hickory Flat Highway near Earney Road and 93 mph on Sugar Pike Road, where the posted speed limit was 45 mph.
“This crash was no accident,” Assistant District Attorney Pete Lamb said during the hearing. “There’s nothing accidental about driving 50 miles per hour over the speed limit with alcohol and THC in your blood. This defendant’s choices demonstrated a complete disregard for the lives of everyone on the road that day.”
The court also heard emotional victim impact statements from Moreno Gutierrez’s family and friends.
His four children described losing their only remaining parent and the challenges they now face without him. Family members also spoke about his passion for cycling and his dedication as a father.
A close friend told the court that Moreno Gutierrez had every right to be riding on the road that day and said the crash was the result of a series of reckless decisions made by the defendant.
“Carlos had every right to be on that lightly trafficked road that day, just like he did on many other occasions. The danger wasn’t the road, and it wasn’t him being on it. The danger was a man who knew exactly what he was doing was dangerous. This isn’t someone who never heard the warnings. There is no version of growing up where he didn’t hear it, over and over, for essentially his entire life: driving drunk kills people. And that day, he got behind the wheel anyway…,” said the friend. Carlos Moreno spent his whole life showing up for the people he loved, quietly, without ever complaining, until someone else’s choice took that from him and from them.”
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Prosecutors requested the maximum sentence allowed under Georgia law: 15 years in prison. Defense attorneys asked that any confinement be served in a probation detention center.
In addition to the prison sentence, A judge ordered Keyes to pay $14,870 in restitution, complete 300 hours of community service, undergo substance abuse evaluation and treatment, and have no contact with the victim’s family. The judge also denied the defense’s request for first offender status.
“Carlos Moreno was doing everything right — following the law, enjoying a sport he loved and safely sharing the road,” Treadaway said in a statement. “His life was taken because another driver chose recklessness, impairment and speed. Our thoughts are with his children, family and everyone who loved him as they continue to navigate this profound loss.”