Woods given six years

A Huntington Beach man was sentenced to six years in state prison today for killing a 14-year-old bicyclist after getting behind the wheel with two prescription pills in his system and text messaging right before the crash.

Jeffrey Woods, 22, was also sentenced to three years probation, will have his driver’s license revoked for three years and was ordered to pay $28,000 restitution to the family of the boy by Orange County Superior Court Judge Marc Kelly.

“I’m glad this is over. I respect the judge’s decision, and I’m done with this,” the victim’s father, Paul Oates, said.

Woods was found guilty Nov. 2 after a four-week trial of one felony count of vehicular manslaughter by unlawful acts with gross negligence while intoxicated. Woods got the midterm sentence, although prosecutors asked for the maximum sentence of 10 years and the defense argued for probation.

The judge said Woods was given good points for having no prior criminal convictions and his behavior during the proceedings, but the seriousness of the crimes and the vulnerability of the victim will put him in jail.

Kelly said the situation was caused by Woods’ “selfishness, your careless attitude and your careless attitude toward life.”

“It’s the court’s sincere hope that whatever sentence I bring down in a minute will bring some kind of closure,” Kelly said.

Danny Oates was riding his bike along Indianapolis Avenue and Everglades Lane about noon Aug. 29, 2007, with a friend when Woods swerved across the median onto the wrong side of the road and hit Danny with his red Ford 150 pick-up truck.

Danny was thrown through the air more than 150 feet and died on impact, while Woods went over the curb and hit a tree before crashing through a wall.

Woods was also distracted by text messaging at the time of the collision, sending a message only a minute before the crash was called into 911.

Defense Attorney Scott Well argued Woods had an epileptic seizure and was unconscious at the time of the accident.

The trial was moved to a larger room to accommodate Danny’s family and friends who packed the courtroom. A handful of Woods’ family and friends gave impact statements during the sentencing, and 10 people spoke out for Danny and urged the judge to give the sentence they felt he deserved.

“Danny Oates wasn’t just a kid. He was a gentleman — one of the rare few that come around every generation that are destined to make a difference,” Danny’s cousin, Logan Miller, said. Later, he added, “His life was tragically and maliciously cut short.”

Others remembered the days, hours and minutes before Danny’s death and talked about the aftermath.

“All of our pain combined can’t be but a drop in the ocean of the pain this family feels,” said family friend Jeff Flory.

Woods declined to make a statement.