Miami-Dade Police said they have arrested a 20-year-old man for DUI manslaughter for a Jan. 8 crash.
Christopher Waller crashed his car into a pickup truck driven by 67-year-old Jose Jaspe at SW 104th Street and SW 122nd Avenue, according to police.
Waller blew through the flashing red light on 122nd Avenue at about 4 a.m., police said.
Jaspe died at the scene, while his daughter, Monica Jaspe, survived life-threatening injuries. She was in intensive care for a week recovering from emergency surgery.
Police said it took time to put their case together against Waller – who was arrested Tuesday and also has been charged with vehicular homicide and DUI with serious bodily injury – even though he was the only person in his car and his blood alcohol level was measured at .213. Florida’s legal limit is .08.
Police also said there's no evidence that he tried to stop or avoid the collision, and he admitted at the scene that he had been driving the car.
Waller bonded out of jail Tuesday on $75,000 bail. His attorney, Gina Mendez, said she cannot comment yet because she just got the case Wednesday.
Local
Teen Killed in Hit and Run in Miami-Dade
“Finally, the system came through,” said Patty Jaspe, the daughter of the victim. “We knew it would eventually, good always prevails, we do feel like finally justice has been served.”
She said her family feels sorry for Waller.
“Yeah, we’re angry that he took my dad away, but it’s more sorrow, it’s more pity,” she said.
Thursday would have been Jose Jaspe's 68th birthday.
“We see this kind of thing way too often. It’s a tragedy for everyone,” Sally Matson of Mothers Against Drunk Driving said.
Matson said the important thing is preventing teens from drinking because when they do, they are much more likely to get involved in a DUI crash than adults are, statistics show.
Scott Sandler is representing the Jaspe family in civil action. He said they will focus on how Waller, who was 19 at the time, got the alcohol and where he was drinking.
