Oates’ father says Woods family never apologized

The 20-year-old Huntington Beach man whose truck crashed into and killed middle school student Danny Oates last August has been charged with two felonies, authorities said. His father’s gut reaction: “Thank God.”

The Orange County district attorney filed charges of vehicular manslaughter and felony driving under the influence against Jeffrey Francis Woods on April 30. Woods is accused of driving with gross negligence while under the influence of alcohol and drugs, authorities said.

Danny’s father, Paul Oates, said he was eager to see Woods convicted and punished.

“To me that’s murder,” he said, adding that he knew legal definitions might be more complicated. “You drove your car into my boy at 60 miles per hour and he’s killed instantly, that’s what it feels like.”

On Aug. 29 last year, 14-year-old student Oates was biking on Indianapolis Avenue to Sowers Middle School to pick up his class schedule when Woods’ pickup truck suddenly swerved across the road, hit Oates, and crashed through a concrete wall, police said. Oates was killed instantly.

Part of Paul Oates’ anger comes from never receiving any apology from Woods or his family, the father said.

“I never received a phone call, no letter, no apologies, nothing,” he said. “That is just pathetic to me. If one of my kids did something to that, I would be calling and asking what I could possibly do.”

Efforts to reach the Woods family were unsuccessful.

Preliminary tests showed Woods was possibly under the influence of opiates at the time of the crash, according to an affidavit Huntington Beach police filed in January to obtain a search warrant. The affidavit also stated Woods’ cell phone contained text messages trying to score drugs in the days before the crash.

Woods was not put under arrest, but sent notice to appear in court June 6. He is scheduled for an arraignment then and will have the opportunity to make a plea.