National Basketball Association

Heat dancer killed in motorcycle crash

Published Sep. 12, 2010 1:00 a.m. ET

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A brand-new Miami Heat dancer was killed when the motorcycle she was riding collided with a car, The Miami Herald reported.

Nancy G. Lopez-Ruiz, 22, of Plantation, Fla., was riding her 2003 Suzuki GSX R in Fort Lauderdale when the crash occurred at 9:30 p.m. Friday.

According to police, Mario Careaga of Fort Lauderdale had been driving his 2009 Mercedes behind Lopez-Ruiz. The car hit a median, then struck the motorcycle, knocking Lopez-Ruiz off the bike. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police opened a drunk driving investigation of Careaga, whose age was not known, The Herald reported.

Lopez-Ruiz had just signed on to dance with the Heat this season.

Eric Woolworth, president of business operations for the Heat, called Lopez-Ruiz ‘‘a lovely young woman with an upbeat personality."

Lopez-Ruiz, a native of Nicaragua, moved to the United States as an infant and graduated from high school in Bradenton, Fla.

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