Pedestrian killed in North Natomas crash identified as 19-year-old guardsman
A 19-year-old guardsman was killed on Wednesday after being struck by a vehicle in a North Natomas neighborhood, police said.
The driver of the vehicle, who also suffered injuries, was arrested after displaying “signs of intoxication,” the Sacramento Police Department said in a news release. The driver is still in the hospital after the collision, police said.
Officers responded to the intersection between Del Paso Road and El Centro Road in the Westlake neighborhood about 3:15 p.m. after a report of a collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian, according to police.
The man was pronounced dead on the scene by firefighters.
The Sacramento County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Ricky Ray Reyes Jr., 19, of North Highlands.
In a GoFundMe campaign, his parents described “Reray” as “a son, grandson, cousin, and brother to four sisters and two brothers” who was “known for his honesty, kindness, and the wholehearted way he cared for everyone around him.”
They wrote that, after graduating from high school, Reyes joined JROTC and dedicated weekends to the Guard while preparing for a military career. He also took pride in “crafting deli sandwiches for his community and building connections with everyone he met” at Corti Bros. in East Sacramento.
His family said he had been “exploring a future in HVAC” and was killed “eight days before his 20th birthday by a drunk driver while he was waiting at a bus stop” after touring a technical school in North Natomas.
“His loss has left a deep void in the lives of those who loved him,” the family’s GoFundMe statement read. By Friday morning, the campaign had raised more than $10,000.
This story was originally published August 7, 2025 at 2:21 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the day of the incident.
