A devastating crash in Garden Grove has left a family fighting for their lives and a man facing severe penalties for his alleged role in the tragedy. Unequivocal and grim, the situation speaks to the dangers of driving under the influence and the cascading pain it can cause. Ceferino Ascencion Ramos, 29, of Santa Ana, was charged with multiple felonies including driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident that critically injured a father and his two children.
On the evening of July 7, the unimaginable occurred when Ramos, with a blood alcohol content reading of .22—nearly three times the legal limit, collided with Angel Ramirez and Angela Hernandez-Mejia and their three children as they were biking along Haster near Twintree Lane. Following the crash, a witness took the initiative and shadowed Ramos' vehicle until police intervened, capturing him. According to the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the impact of the crash left Angel in a coma with a fractured skull and brain bleed, while his five-year-old son is also comatose with no brain activity, and their seven-year-old daughter, who just celebrated her birthday, in critical but stable condition post-surgery.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer expressed the depths of this tragedy, stating, “Instead of blowing out her birthday candles, a little girl spent her seventh birthday in the hospital fighting for her life the day after being run over along with her entire family by a drunk driver,” as per the Orange County District Attorney's Office. And, in a haunting reminder of the event’s senselessness, he added, "This is a tragedy that should have never happened, but it did because of the selfish decision by a stranger to get behind the wheel drunk."
Ramos faces charges that include felony DUI causing bodily injury, hit and run with injury, and enhancements for causing brain injury and paralysis. If convicted of all, charges he could face a maximum sentence of 11 years. Senior Deputy District Attorney Devin Campbell of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting the case, and it's been indicated that the charges could be escalated should the victims' condition deteriorate further, as detailed by the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
