Ryan Cavender Wicks, a former co-owner of a Riverside brewery, is set to be sentenced on May 17 after admitting to a lesser charge in connection with a fatal DUI collision. Wicks, 41, had initially faced charges of second-degree murder and driving under the influence causing injury for the incident that occurred on the 15 Freeway in Ontario in 2022. The collision resulted in the death of Gary Boeldt II and injuries to his wife, Christine Lynn Carroll, both residents of Oceanside.
During a court hearing on April 9 at the Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga, Wicks pleaded guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, DUI alcohol/drugs causing injury, and DUI with a blood-alcohol level of .08 or greater causing injury, according to San Bernardino County court records. He is currently being held without bail at the Central Detention Center in San Bernardino.
Wicks had a prior DUI conviction in 2005 in San Bernardino County, which included a Watson advisement warning him about the potential consequences of drunk driving. This prior conviction made him eligible for the second-degree murder charge. However, Wicks negotiated a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office, resulting in the lesser charges. If convicted of second-degree murder, he would have faced a sentence of 15 years to life. The charges he pleaded to will now lead to a defined term of imprisonment, as stated by his attorney, Lee Gale.
The collision occurred in the early hours of March 31, 2022, on the northbound 15 Freeway near Jurupa Avenue. According to the California Highway Patrol, Wicks struck Boeldt’s car from behind at a speed exceeding 100 mph while Boeldt was driving at approximately 70 mph in the left lane. The impact caused Boeldt’s vehicle to plunge down an embankment and overturn.
At the time of the incident, Wicks was described as a co-owner of Wicks Brewing, a brewery and restaurant in Riverside, along with his father. However, a sign displayed on the business’ door after his arrest threatened legal action against anyone claiming Wicks was an owner.
Wicks is also facing a lawsuit filed by Christine Carroll, seeking more than $25,000 in damages. The lawsuit alleges that the brewery served alcohol to Wicks before the collision. The next hearing for the lawsuit is scheduled for June 17.
In the past, Ryan Wicks had been recognized for his support of law enforcement. In 2014, on the one-year anniversary of the shooting deaths of Riverside police Officer Mike Crain and San Bernardino County sheriff’s Detective Jeremiah MacKay by fugitive Christopher Dorner, Wicks collaborated with the brewery to create two beers, Sheepdog and Freight Crain, to honor the fallen officers. Additionally, the brewery organized a car show to raise funds for their families.
