Drunk driver sentenced to life in crash that killed Pinoy girl, grandma

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – The driver of the car that slammed into a minivan that killed a Filipina girl and her grandmother in 2016 has been sentenced to life in prison.

Cheyenne Wyllie of Springville, California ran a stop sign before hitting the Espinosa family’s minivan in Tulare County, killing 69-year-old Angelita Espinosa and her 10-year old granddaughter Jamie. It also left George Espinosa, the girl's father, severely injured.

“Well, she was crying. But for me, to be remorseful you have to acknowledge that you did something wrong. I hope she learns to realize that what she did is really devastating and hopefully learn from it," said Charlotte, George's widow who also survived the crash.

The Espinosa family were on their way home from a trip to Yosemite National Park when the incident happened.

“We are trying to get by every day. It’s still hard to wake up every day without your mom, your daughter,” said Charlotte.

Investigation had found that Wyllie was driving under the influence, with a .21-percent blood alcohol content.

Charlotte said her husband had to stop working because he still has to go through a number of surgeries.

“The effects of what she did to my husband will be [for a] lifetime…we’ll be spending for his medicines, he is disabled right now, the loss of income for both of us is too much,” she added.

The last three years has been a nightmare for her and her family going back and forth to the hospital as well as to court. But she said her faith in the US justice system has been fully restored.

“I believe, in what we went through, it has strengthened my faith in the justice system. Nobody can elude justice. I’m so thankful for the DA (District Attorney) in Tulare [that] processed our case as a crime and not just as an accident because drunk driving is indeed a crime and is a preventable crime. It can be life-altering, it can be life-ending for some just like what happened to us,” she said.

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Fil-Am hit by drunk driver in New Jersey dies, is laid to rest

WESTFIELD, New Jersey - A Filipino-American who died 2 days after a drunk driver hit his car was laid to rest in New Jersey on Monday.

Michael Sot, 20, was making sure his friends got home safe only to be hit head on by a drunk driver last Dec. 2.

The driver, 22-year-old David Lamar, crossed over the double center line and crashed into Sot’s car. The accident also injured 7 others.

Lamar survived and was charged with vehicular homicide, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.

"I want the other guy to know how he affected everyone and I want him to know how good of a kid he took out in the world. I have other fraternity brothers still in the hospital right now, unconscious, and I want him to see that too," said Sot’s best friend, Giancarlo Santo.

For many of Sot’s friends, he was not only a former star football player and an outstanding student, he was someone who put others first.

"He might be gone now, but like now, pieces of him live in every one of us and I think we just need to do our best job to carry out what things Mike would have done to people if he was here, because it’s the only way he could live on now,” Santo said. 

More than $73,000 dollars has been raised at this time through a GoFundMe page to help the Sot family and other victims of the car crash.

Another GoFundMe page called TCNJ Car Accident Recovery Fund has raised more than $120,000. The money raised will be given to each family affected by the crash.

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LOOK: Tiger Woods arrested in Florida on DUI charge

FLORIDA- Former world number one golfer Tiger Woods was arrested in South Florida on Monday morning on a charge of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to media reports.

Woods, who is second on the all-time list with 14 major titles, was taken into custody at about 3 a.m. (0700 GMT) near his Jupiter Island home and released hours later on his own recognizance, NBC affiliate WPTV reported.

Woods's representatives did not respond immediately to Reuters when asked to confirm the reports.

Woods, who is currently sidelined from competition after having his fourth back surgery in April, said last week that he felt better than he had in years and had no plans to retire from competitive golf.

"Presently, I'm not looking ahead," Woods, 41, wrote on his website.

"I can't twist for another two and a half to three months. Right now, my sole focus is rehab and doing what the doctors tell me. I am concentrating on short-term goals."

This is not the first time Woods has made headlines away from the golf course. His private life unravelled in late 2009 over allegations about affairs with several women and ultimately led to the end of his marriage.

Those allegations followed a bizarre early morning car accident outside his Florida home that rapidly ballooned into a fully-fledged sex scandal which turned his previously unblemished life and career upside down.

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Texas 'affluenza' teen detained in Mexico – CNN

A Texas teen, who was a fugitive after allegedly breaking his probation sentence for killing four people while driving drunk, has been arrested in Puerto Vallarta in Mexico, CNN reported on Monday, citing officials briefed on the matter.

Ethan Couch, 18, was sentenced to probation about two years ago in juvenile court for intoxication manslaughter and is wanted in Tarrant County, Texas. He and his mother went missing earlier this month.

The "affluenza" nickname for the teen came from a psychologist who said during Couch's trial he was so wealthy and spoiled he could not tell the difference between right and wrong.

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Ateneo player linked to drunk driving incident

MANILA, Philippines -- The Ateneo de Manila University on Monday vowed to take action after a member of the Blue Eagles was linked to a drunk driving incident that occurred early Sunday morning.

Reserve forward John Apacible was identified as the "very drunk driver" whose car bore a "councilor" vanity plate and caused a commotion along Timog Avenue in Quezon City.

A video of the incident was posted by Top Gear Philippines.



In its website, Top Gear later cited a source who claimed that the driver was a player of a UAAP basketball team.

Ateneo's University Athletics Office confirmed on Monday evening that it was indeed Apacible who was caught in the video.

"It has come to our attention that John Apacible, a member of the Ateneo Blue Eagles, behaved in an unacceptable manner during an early Sunday morning encounter," Ateneo athletics director Emmanuel Fernandez said in a memo.

"John deeply regrets his reprehensible behavior and sincerely apologizes to all parties concerned," he added.

Fernandez said that the Blue Eagles' team management as well as the Loyola Schools "will deal with this regrettable incident appropriately and swiftly."

Apacible is averaging 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in seven minutes of playing time per game for Ateneo in Season 78.

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Michael Phelps arrested on drunken driving charge

WASHINGTON - American swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, was arrested for drunken driving early on Tuesday after speeding and then crossing the double-lane lines inside a Baltimore tunnel, police said.

The 18-time Olympic gold medalist later apologized for the incident, saying he was "deeply sorry to everyone I have let down."

Police said Phelps, 29, was clocked by radar around 1:40 a.m. traveling 84 miles per hour (135 kph) in a 45-mph (72-kph) zone. He was booked and released.

Phelps, who has won 22 Olympic medals and appears to be eyeing a spot on the U.S. team for the 2016 Olympics, was "unable to perform satisfactorily a series of standard field sobriety tests," authorities said, adding he failed a Breathalyzer test.

Police said an officer followed Phelps's 2014 Land Rover onto northbound Interstate 95, through the Fort McHenry Tunnel under Baltimore Harbor, and pulled him over just beyond the tunnel's toll plaza. Authorities said the Baltimore-area native was cooperative.

"Earlier this morning, I was arrested and charged with DUI (driving under the influence), excessive speeding and crossing double lane lines," Phelps said in a statement.

"I understand the severity of my actions and take full responsibility," he added. "I know these words may not mean much right now but I am deeply sorry to everyone I have let down."

The drunken-driving arrest was the second for Phelps, who has spent most his life working feverishly in the pool but admits he likes to have a good time outside of practice and competition.

Emerging recently from a two-year retirement, Phelps first tested the comeback waters in April at a low-key meet in Phoenix and his progress has been steady rather than his usual impressive.

'UNQUESTIONABLY SERIOUS'

USA Swimming, the national team's governing body, said: "The news regarding Michael Phelps and his actions are disappointing and unquestionably serious.

"We expect our athletes to conduct themselves responsibly in and out of the pool," it said in a statement.

"I was shocked at the news, to say the least," Dara Torres, a 12-time Olympic medalist who has been on several Olympic and national swim teams with Phelps, told Reuters in a telephone interview. "He was very fortunate that no one was hurt. He's a good guy. He does work for kids. He does charity work.

"He could have given the keys to someone. He could have called Uber, a taxi. He has the means to do stuff like that. I just don't understand it," she said.

The U.S. Olympic Committee said it was "surprised by today's news."

"We are disappointed on a number of fronts, but want to give Michael Phelps and USA Swimming an opportunity to comment before saying anything more," the USOC said in a statement.

Phelps was charged in Maryland in 2004 for drunken driving when he was 19. He pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of driving while impaired in exchange for 18 months' probation.

Phelps was contrite following his first drunken driving arrest a decade ago.

"I recognize the seriousness of the mistake I made," he told the judge in 2004. "It is wrong to drink when you're under age. It's wrong to drive when you've had anything to drink, no matter how old you are."

In 2009, British tabloids published a photo of Phelps smoking from a marijuana pipe while at a party at the University of South Carolina.

"I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again," Phelps said at the time.

(Reporting by Steve Ginsburg; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)

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Justin Bieber in Panama after drunk driving arrest

Teen pop star Justin Bieber was spotted enjoying a beach holiday in Panama on Saturday, just two days after his tumultuous life off-stage landed him in jail in Florida.

Bieber was arrested on Thursday for drunk driving after he was caught drag racing on a main Miami Beach street in a rented Lamborghini.

The 19-year-old Canadian initially resisted arrest, cursed at police officers and later told them he had consumed alcohol, pot and prescription drugs, police said. Then, changing his demeanour, he grew cooperative and even smiled for his mug shot, coiffed hair perfectly in place.

A judge set bail at $2,500 and released the "Boyfriend" singer. If convicted, Bieber could face jail time of up to six months, although experts say he will likely get off with a lighter sentence for his first offence.

Bieber's arrest is his most serious run-in with the law during a year in which his problems have ranged from allegations of speeding through his gated community near Los Angeles to a felony investigation into whether he pelted a neighbour's house with eggs.

His once meteoric career has also showed signs of distress. A year ago, he became the youngest artist with five No. 1 albums, but in March he collapsed on a London stage and in December hinted he might be ready to retire after releasing a compilation album and a film about his life.

Media reports said the pop star arrived in Panama on Saturday.

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NBA's Odom arrested for DUI

Veteran NBA forward Lamar Odom was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving Friday morning after he was seen driving erratically on a Southern California freeway, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Odom was arrested at 3:54 a.m. and booked into Los Angeles County Jail in Van Nuys, Calif., about an hour later. He was reportedly swerving on the 101 Freeway in San Fernando Valley at about 50 mph.

California Highway Patrol officers tried to pull over Odom, but he kept driving until finally exiting off the freeway and coming to a stop. A CHP report said that Odom showed signs of drunkenness and was unable to perform field sobriety tests.

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