WEST COVINA >> A 31-year-old Los Angeles woman who was severely injured in an alleged DUI, hit-and-run crash in west Covina last week succumbed to her injuries Thursday, authorities said.
Sherry Yu has been hospitalized in critical condition since Dec. 30, when accused drunken driver Raymond Simon Alvarado, 21, of San Bernardino ran a red light while drunk, slamming into a car Yu was riding as a passenger in, according to West Covina police spokesman Rudy Lopez.
Yu died from her injuries Thursday at a hospital.
Police said Alvarado blew through a red light at Azusa Avenue while speeding west on Rowland Avenue about 9:15 p.m. His Honda Civic struck the Acura Integra Yu was riding in, which was making a left turn from northbound Azusa Avenue onto eastbound Rowland Avenue.
Yu’s boyfriend, who was driving the Acura suffered non-life-threatening injuries, officials and friends said. Alvarado then tried to flee the scene on foot, but was pointed out by a witness and arrested, Lopez said.
He appeared in Pomona Superior Court Monday and pleaded not guilty to charges of DUI causing great bodily injury, driving with a blood-alcohol level greater than .08 percent causing great bodily injury, felony hit-and-run and driving without a license, Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Ricardo Santiago said. He was ordered back to court for a hearing Jan. 28.
Police notified prosecutors of Yu’s death for consideration of additional charges, such as vehicular manslaughter, authorities said.
According to Los Angeles County booking records, Alvarado remained behind bars Thursday in lieu of $210,000 bail at the North County Correctional Facility in Castaic.
West Covina police traffic investigators returned to the scene of the crash Thursday evening to take measurements and photographs as part of the ongoing investigation, Lt. Pat Cirrito said. The intersections was closed to traffic overnight.
Family and friends have set up an online fund to help cover medical and burial expenses at http://www.gofundme.com/SherryinComa
First of all my heart and prayers go out to Sherry’s daughter and family. This is such a senseless death of a baby and 31 is nothing but a baby. This did not have to happen. I said in my “Our Society” Blog Posted 12-22-2014 people have an “I can do whatever I want to do mentality” and that is what makes things like this keep happening. People doing what they want to do is what makes Our Society so Cruel.
There were too many other things he could have done. There is Uber, Cab, Bus, Walk, Friends or just stayed where he was. Actually DUIs should never happen. “I can do whatever I want to do mentality” people do not think about anyone but themselves. If he was thinking about anyone besides himself he would have chosen one of those options. Because he was only thinking about himself a little girl has lost her mother.
Sherry was “Totally Innocent” in what happened to her. No one can correct anyone anymore without people feeling they are being condemned and this is another reason why things like this happen. Even the police cannot correct people without becoming the villain. Instead of people protesting for people resisting arrest people need to make sure they are “Totally Innocent” in everything they do so things like this stop happening. “Totally Innocent!!!” was a Blog Posted 12-15-2014.
If people would correct themselves then other people would not have to do it. People must start judging themselves. People must start judging their own actions:
“For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (I Corinthians 11:31)
I said in my “Bible Study: Hebrews 4” Blog “2015 is the year for people to DO what Jesus would DO instead of wearing it on a tee shirt.” What Jesus did was always think of others. Until people start thinking how their actions could affect someone else situations like this is only going to continue.
First people must start thinking. People just do things without even thinking about them. What people are calling thinking is not thinking. Thinking is creating. We are made in the image of God. Thinking is seeing past that moment. Anticipating outcomes.
People must start thinking past the moment they are in. You are going out drinking and you already know you are going to get drunk. You need to make arrangements for what you already know is going to happen. Drinking only become bad when people have not thought past that moment. People not thinking past the moment is why people do not think about their Eternity.
Usually in situations like these the first thing people think is why God let this happen. People cause tragedies. God was not driving that car. The only way for God to stop things like this from happening is He did not make people in the first place. That means none of us would be here.
We live in a Society where people care about no one but themselves. There is usually a list of people that people have they blame not caring on. Because someone did not care about you does not give you the right to take that hate out on other people. Hate is what makes people cruel.
Because someone did not care about you does not give you the right to make other people feel your pain. All of us have been hurt by someone. What happened in the past is done and over with. Since people know how horrible pain feels people’s missions should be to make sure no one feels pain from them.
UNTIL PEOPLE CHANGE IN OUR SOCIETY, OUR SOCIETY WILL NOT CHANGE.