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Uploaded: Friday, October 19, 2007, 2:50 PM
Mountain View mom dies in SoCal car crash
Driver faces manslaughter charges after plunge from freeway overpass kills two
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 | The victims of a horrific car crash last weekend in Santa Barbara County included a young woman from Mountain View, Kelly Marie Ruiz, whose mother said the incident "sounds like a murder."
The early Sunday crash in Montecito that killed Ruiz, 26, and Sara Elizabeth Pezzimenti, 21, of Palo Alto, "made everybody's life terrible," Ruiz' mother said Thursday.
Ruiz, herself the mother of a 9-year-old boy, and Pezzimenti were passengers in a Chevrolet Camaro being driven by Beau James Robertson, 29, of Palo Alto. According to the California Highway Patrol, Robertson was driving at about 2:15 a.m. Sunday on a road that parallels U.S. Highway 101 and attempted to make a right turn onto an overpass.
He lost control of the Camaro, the CHP reported, and the car jumped the curb and sidewalk, knocked out a metal bridge railing and plunged off the overpass onto southbound 101.
It landed on its right side in the left lane, where it was struck by a Honda sedan occupied by a family of five, according to CHP Officer Don Clotworthy.
Ruiz and Pezzimenti were thrown from the vehicle, the CHP said. Both were killed instantly. Robertson suffered head and internal injuries and was taken by ambulance to the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Three passengers of the Honda were also injured. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Robertson, now said to be in "fair" condition, faces charges of felony driving under the influence and felony gross vehicular manslaughter, according to a CHP press release.
Weaving between anger and grief, Ruiz' mother, Anita Henley, said she has "lost my precious little girl, and her son is losing his mother. This is all terrible."
She said she did not know the driver, but "I hope they throw the book at him. I hate him. It sounds like a murder. I'm angry. I feel sorry for that guy's parents, but this guy, he made everybody's life terrible."
However, Robin Pezzimenti, mother to Sara Pezzimenti, said Robertson was a good friend to her daughter. She said Sara had been in the Santa Barbara area to celebrate Robertson's birthday.
"I'm sure he would have never intentionally hurt her. It was an accident, and that's what I hope people remember," she said.
Henley describes her daughter as an exuberant woman with many friends.
"If you were down she always brought you up," Henley said.
Ruiz loved music and star emblems -- on jewelry and other decorations -- because "She wanted to be a star," Henley said.
Ruiz was to start a new job as an administrative assistant on Monday, Henley said. She said she lived all but about two years in Mountain View, despite her driver's license indicating Santa Clara.
A memorial service for Ruiz will be held Sunday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m. at Spangler Mortuary in Mountain View, with a reception following.
Family, friends and coworkers are setting up a family and college fund for Ruiz's 9-year-old son, Tyson Garcia, at the Palo Alto Credit Union, 616 Ramona St., No. 3, Palo Alto, CA 94301. — Palo Alto Weekly Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by sue, a resident of another community, on Oct 20, 2007 at 3:16 pm In California the penalty for DUI Homicide is now 15YRS to LIFE IN STATE PRISON.
Santa Barbara County has ZERO TOLERANCE in these cases.
What a waste of 3 young lives.
Be afraid, Be very afraid.
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Posted by Jared Ramos, a resident of the Blossom Valley neighborhood, on Nov 6, 2007 at 10:15 am The Mother of Ruiz needs to realize that this was a terrible accident for all the parties involved and should not say the negative things she has about Beau.If she does not personally know him,then how could she hate him.I'm sad for her,Beau is a great person and friend.I hope they take a look at the FACT that this was a accident and show Beau some leniency when he goes to court.I'm not condoning what he has done but also know he does not deserve to get the book thrown at him...
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Posted by Missy, a resident of another community, on Dec 9, 2007 at 9:33 pm I feel sorry for Beau's mom, given the fact Beau's father never married her and left her and Beau when Beau was a baby. She did the bast she could without the help of Beau's father.
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Posted by unknown, a resident of another community, on Dec 30, 2007 at 2:41 am the lives lost are kept in our hearts. they all should have been responsable and taken a cab, but these things in our lives are lessons. it kills me every day to think about what happened. how its affecting the people who will never get to say good bye, or the pain a little boy feels every time he sees a star. and the peole who didnt get to say good bye should get to feel any way she or he wants.
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Posted by truth, a resident of the Old Mountain View neighborhood, on Jan 12, 2008 at 8:19 pm for all of you "beau" supporters, drunk driving is not an "accident." an accident is an unintended event. when you are drunk, you know you're drunk. and when you're drunk, you don't drive. two people are dead because of his action. and that's the facts!!
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Posted by TAUDY, a resident of another community, on Feb 26, 2008 at 8:54 pm WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO COMFORT AN VERY DEAR FRIEND WHO HAS HAD A BRIGHT LIGHT LEAVE HER LIFE. WHAT I can say is that I love and grieve for your loss. The drink did not fall from the sky and land in his open mouth this is NO Accident!!!!!!!!!!!! He is not a child. HE IS A GROWN MAN WHO NEEDS TO BE MORE RESPECTFUL!!! OF THE LOSS HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A CHILD HAS IN FACT LOST HIS MOTHER AND A MOTHER HER CHILD!!!!
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Posted by Taudy, a resident of another community, on Feb 26, 2008 at 9:02 pm WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO COMFORT AN VERY DEAR FRIEND WHO HAD HAD A BRIGHT LIGHT LEAVE HER LIFE. What can i say is that i love you and i grieve for your loss. The drink did not fall from the sky and land in his open mouth this is NO Accident!!!!!!!He is not a child. HE IS A GROWN MAN WHO NEEDS TO BE MORE RESPECTFUL!!! OF THE LOSS HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A CHILD HAS IN FACT LOST HIS MOTHERAND A MOTHER HER CHILD!!!!!
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Posted by Taudy, a resident of another community, on Feb 26, 2008 at 9:02 pm WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO COMFORT AN VERY DEAR FRIEND WHO HAD HAD A BRIGHT LIGHT LEAVE HER LIFE. What can i say is that i love you and i grieve for your loss. The drink did not fall from the sky and land in his open mouth this is NO Accident!!!!!!!He is not a child. HE IS A GROWN MAN WHO NEEDS TO BE MORE RESPECTFUL!!! OF THE LOSS HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!A CHILD HAS IN FACT LOST HIS MOTHERAND A MOTHER HER CHILD!!!!!
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Posted by Missy Williams, a resident of another community, on Sep 30, 2008 at 11:04 am Just wanted to clarify that it was another Missy who wrote that comment previously regarding Beau's parents. I know nothing about his parents and would not write anything regarding his parents. Since I am taking the time writing this comment I might as well add that even though it has almost been a year since the accident occured, Kelly's mother Anita is still feeling the same if not more pain than she felt the day that Kelly passed. They say that time heels all things, but in this case that is not what is happening. In fact, I think that each day that passes only makes Anita miss Kelly even more and I know this because Anita is such a dear friend of mine whom I cherish with all of my heart. I wish that all of you people who don't understand her pain and think it's wrong for her to blame Beau should be a little bit more understanding. Not that I wish this to happen to any parent, but if it was your child, I'm sure you would be saying the same things about Beau. A mother has every right to be angry and lash out, for it was such a huge loss of two beautiful girls who had so much to live for. Anyway, I wanted to take the time to clarify that I would have made no such comment regarding Beau's parents for two simple reasons. One, I know notheing about his parents. But secondly and most important, I have too much respect for Kelly and Anita to post anything positive about Beau. Sorry Beau. I know you from high school and wish that you didn't have to spend the rest of your life knowing that you took the lives of two innocent girls because I think that is probably the worst punishment in itself, but I can't say anything nice about this situation because you have caused so much pain to somebody that I love so much. So Anita, just know that I am always on your side and support you with all of my heart. Whether you belive it or not, you are a very courageous and strong woman. I know that Kelly is looking down on you smiling and telling herself that she has the best mother in the world!
With love and sympathy always, MISSY WILLIAMS
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Posted by Carrie, a resident of another community, on Feb 23, 2010 at 9:42 pm Now that it has been some time and no time will be enough, there are pictures that are time dated and shows up to the accident that the girls were horsing around in the car climbing from front seat to back. Unfornately, the passenger fell into the driver and caused the accident. I in no means am saying drinking and driving is safe, but the passenger's blood was .23.
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Posted by Outraged, a resident of another community, on Mar 25, 2010 at 4:31 pm Hay Carrie,
It is truly amazing that Beau's family (because we know who this is), like Beau, still try to blame his actions on other people. Trashing the people lost their lives and their family that has been left behind is more than sub-human. Do you forget the fact that your beloved Beau had a blood alcohol level 2 times over the limit? That he had been in two other high speed collisions before this one? That Sara was breaking up with him and he was fighting with her? That up until the day of sentencing he felt no remorse for his actions? He is in jail where he should be and where he deserves to be. I hope that someday you lose a loved one to a drunk driver. Will you find compassion and respect for the person that did it? I seriously doubt it. [Portion removed due to disrespectful comment.]
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Posted by Eric Wright, a resident of another community, on Oct 5, 2012 at 4:57 pm We Love You Sarah
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