Man Says DUI Suspect Who Hit A Skateboarder In Citrus Heights Hit Him 7 Years Ago
CITRUS HEIGHTS (CBS13) — A Sacramento County woman is recovering Friday night after she was hit by a car while riding her skateboard in Citrus Heights. The driver, Angel Huerta, is now behind bars and a Rio Linda man says he was hit by the same man seven years ago.
"What it brought back was a lot of anger that this person has now hurt somebody else," said Derek Roberts, who was injured back in 2011.
Roberts told CBS13 his accident was the reason he brought the Guardian Angels to Rio Linda.
"Unfortunately what we started to get started in Rio Linda, didn't get a lot of community involvement," Roberts said.
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Angel Diego Huerta is the man that Derek Roberts says changed his life forever.
"His name's burned in my head just like the date of the accident, just like hearing my wife say 'I can't feel my legs,'" Roberts said. "My wife needs spinal surgery, I need new hips!"
Huerta is currently in the Sacramento County Jail, where he's being held without possibility of bail. Seeing Huerta's mugshot on the Friday morning news brought everything back in a flash.
"It doesn't get easier," Roberts said.
August 26, 2011: Roberts and his wife Deborah were sitting in their car eating lunch when a drunk driver hit them head-on at 65 miles per hour.
"His statement to the police was 'I just had two 4 locos, smoked some bud, I don't even know why I'm driving,'" Roberts said.
The CHP report confirmed the driver was then 20-year-old Huerta, who admitted to the officer he was under the influence.
Sacramento County Court records show Huerta pled no contest to felony DUI back in 2012. He sentenced to jail time and a Sheriff's work project.
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"I feel like our California Judicial System is too lax," Roberts said.
Thursday night, Huerta collided with a woman on a skateboard, sending her through the front windshield. Lt. David Gutierrez with Citrus Heights Police Department confirmed Huerta was already on parole.
"He's on parole for robbery and felony DUI," he said.
Huerta was arrested Thursday and now faces three additional felonies.
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"Something is not right when somebody can create a second felony DUI seven years later and they are not accountable!" Roberts said.
Thursday's collision is a nightmare he's reliving with the latest of Huerta's victims.
"All I can offer is my support," Roberts said, speaking about the skateboarder. "And it shouldn't have happened to you. It should have stopped with me."
The skateboarder has non-life threatening injuries and is recovering in the hospital tonight. Huerta will face a judge on Monday.
