Woman arrested in year-old Eureka Broadway hit-and-run case

Ericka Marie Rosas was taken into custody by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office on Jan. 9 after a warrant connected her to a violent traffic incident on Broadway in Eureka nearly a year earlier. The warrant stemmed from an investigation led by the Eureka Police Department into a January 25, 2025 collision that injured a bicyclist.

Eureka police identified the original incident as occurring at approximately 10:28 a.m. in the 2100 block of Broadway. Investigators allege Rosas was driving the wrong way on the roadway, accelerated and intentionally struck a bicyclist known to her. After the bicyclist fell, investigators say the driver reversed and ran over the bicycle. The vehicle was treated by detectives as the weapon in the case. The extent of the bicyclist’s injuries was described as unknown but appearing to be minor.

The January 2025 collision unfolded amid a larger chain of chaotic events on Broadway. A witness, Jeff Osborne, reported a white minivan struck the bicyclist near West Hawthorne Street, backed over the bicycle, then sped north on Broadway. That minivan later collided with another vehicle and sustained major front-end damage. Witnesses detained a female driver at the scene until officers arrived.

Nearly a year elapsed between the incident and Rosas’s arrest after investigators sought and obtained a warrant related to the Eureka Police Department’s probe. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office served the warrant and executed the arrest. As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations; Rosas is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. The investigation remains active as officers and prosecutors prepare the next legal steps.

For Humboldt County residents, the case underscores multiple civic concerns: the risks posed by wrong-way driving on major corridors like Broadway, the interaction between motorists and people biking in dense urban stretches of Eureka, and how swiftly serious traffic incidents move from scene response to formal legal action. The timeline from incident to arrest also raises community questions about investigative resources, interagency coordination between city police and the county sheriff, and how those factors affect public safety outcomes.

The investigation and any subsequent court proceedings will determine legal responsibility. In the meantime, residents who travel Broadway and nearby streets should remain aware that assaults involving vehicles can carry both criminal and civil consequences and that police follow-up can take time.

Our two cents? Keep an eye on street safety in your neighborhood, report reckless driving when you see it, and watch for court dates if you want to follow the case; community attention helps keep pressure on agencies to prioritize traffic enforcement and safer streets.