Miami Heat dancer Nancy G. Lopez-Ruiz was killed Friday (Sept. 10) when the motorcycle she was riding was struck by a car, The Miami Herald reported.
Lopez-Ruiz, of Plantation, Fla., was riding her 2003 Suzuki GSX R in Fort Lauderdale when the crash occurred at about 9:30 p.m.
Police say Fort Lauderdale resident Mario Careaga was behind the wheel of his 2009 Mercedes when the car hit a median, striking the back of Lopez-Ruiz’s motorcycle and knocking Lopez-Ruiz off the bike. She died at the scene.
The 22-year-old was born in Nicaragua and moved to the United States as an infant. She had just signed on for her first season as a Heat dancer.
Charges against Careaga are pending as police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.