RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A drunken driver was sentenced to seven years in state prison today for colliding with a police car in Montclair, injuring an officer inside, as he tried to flee a traffic stop.
Before he was sentenced, 28-year-old Seth Ruiz apologized for the Dec. 27 incident and asked the injured officer for forgiveness.
"I'm sorry for what I did," Ruiz, of Pomona, said through a translator in West Valley Superior Court. "I know it was wrong, and I think I have to find a way to change."
Police pulled Ruiz over at about 1:30 a.m. in the 4500 block of Kingsley Street. After initially stopping, Ruiz sped away in his 1996 Ford Explorer, reaching speeds estimated at 60 to 70 mph.
Officer Eric Rivera was standing in the street beside his patrol car, which he'd parked east of the traffic stop to keep other cars from entering the area.
In court Thursday, Rivera recalled seeing Ruiz's headlights race toward him. He said he got into his patrol car and held the steering wheel to brace himself for the impact.
Rivera suffered a concussion and sprained his spine in the resulting collision. He said his body was thrown inside the car with such force that it bent the barrel of an assault rifle beside him.
The officer said he missed work for a month and had to undergo physical therapy before returning.
"I feel like I made a full recovery, fortunately," Rivera said.
Ruiz's car rolled over during the collision and he was also hospitalized. His blood-alcohol level was measured at 0.24, three times the legal limit.
After Ruiz expressed remorse for the incident today, Rivera said he forgave him. Rivera has been an officer for nearly four years, and last year he was named Montclair's officer of the year.
As part of a plea agreement with prosecutors, Ruiz pleaded no contest last month to four felonies: assault on a police officer with a deadly weapon, DUI, vandalism, and evading a police officer.
Besides imposing the prison sentence contained in the agreement, Judge Stephan Saleson ordered Ruiz to pay about $28,500 in restitution to the city of Montclair.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a hold on Ruiz, and after finishing his prison sentence he'll likely be deported, said Deputy District Attorney Tom Colclough.
Colclough said he doesn't know Ruiz's immigration status.