GLENDALE, Ariz. — At 24 years old, Jeremiah Washington is learning how to walk all over again after a suspected drunk driver crashed into him and left him as a double amputee.
Every small step he takes is a victory to reclaim the life he dreamed of and to be a good example for his sons.
“Most definitely that’s what keeps me going,” Washington told 12News after the suspect responsible for altering his life was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison.
Step by step, he walked before a judge on Monday and spoke about the toll the crash has taken on his life.
The suspect, Jerry Odogui Hernandez, was also present.
Washington detailed how his youngest son is now two years old, but he wasn’t able to walk with him as he learned to walk. He talked about how the crash has separated his family, like feuds created about finances and who can take him to therapy sessions, among other things.
Washington said he used to work for the government as a food inspector for the Department of Agriculture but now is unemployed and can’t provide for his family.
He opened up about struggling with therapy and that he’s had suicidal thoughts. “It’s just difficult,” he said.
Washington questioned why Hernandez wasn’t charged with DUI, given that police records show his alcohol level was above the legal limit after a blood test was conducted after the crash.
Despite all the harm, Washington said he forgave Hernandez.
“I can forgive him, but I definitely can’t forget,” Washington said. “Especially with prosthetics, I have to stick for the rest of my life.”
Fateful day
On June 25, 2022, Washington and one of his younger brothers went to get a haircut and planned to go out to eat afterward.
They were in his siblings’ car and he had clothes he wanted to wear for lunch in the trunk. Minutes after he stepped outside the car and walked to the rear of the vehicle to get his clothes, an SUV crashed into him near 46th and Glendale avenues.
“I heard a loud boom, but I didn’t think anything of it, and then I realized he had just hit us,” Washington told 12News three months after the crash. “I did try to take a few steps, not knowing my legs were broken at the time, and I fell to the ground. That’s when I [saw] everyone running to me trying to help me.”
His brother and girlfriend were among those who ran to his aid.
“She was right there trying to tell me to stay awake,” Washington said. “She was telling me my eyes were rolling back and to think about my son, and that’s what I thought about. My son. The entire time.”
The father of two was rushed to the hospital in serious condition. The damage to his legs was so severe that doctors couldn’t save either of them.
“I knew it was serious when I asked my brother to pick me up, and he saw my legs and it scared him because he suddenly dropped me,” he added. “When I was in the ambulance, and they [put the tourniquet] on my legs. That’s when I knew.”
On the day of the wreck, court records obtained by 12News show police arrested 47-year-old Jerry Odogui Hernandez. Witnesses told investigators they saw him drive the vehicle before the accident and after it, attempting to leave the scene.
Records state Hernandez told witnesses “that he had been drinking beer.”
Hernandez has a criminal record that includes past convictions for drunk driving.
Justice served
For months, Washington’s family waited for justice as the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office decided to formally charge Hernandez.
After a long wait, Hernandez was offered a plea deal that he later accepted and pled guilty to aggravated assault and endangerment.
18 months after that crash, Hernandez was sentenced to 6.5 years behind bars.
“Even though it wasn’t what I expected, I still look at it as justice,” Washington said.
During the sentencing, Washington also spoke directly to the suspect, asking him why he “decided to drive drunk”.
Hernandez was wearing a mask over his nose and mouth. He sat motionless with squinted eyebrows, not leaving Washington’s sight as he talked, or when he walked to and from the podium inside the courtroom.
Hernandez also spoke during the hearing and said he was “very sorry for what happened. It was an accident. I wish this never happened.”
“I’m going to have to deal with this for the rest of my life,” Hernandez said as he asked for forgiveness. “When I get out, I’m going to do better.”
Hernandez promised to help pay for Washington’s medical bills when he was done with his sentence.
“If he really feels apologetic, he should definitely remember what happened that day, if he’s really remorseful,” Washington said after the sentencing.
The judge gave Hernandez credit for the time he’s already served as the criminal case played out, so he will only spend a little more than five years in prison.
“I’m angry, but I have to think about Washington’s healing,” Belinda Welch said about her son. “I just hope he doesn’t repeat this and do more damage to somebody else’s family than what he’s already done to ours.”
With the criminal case concluded Washington said he would turn his focus on his therapy and creating memories with his sons. His family has a GoFundMe account to help with medical bills.
“I’m in a forgiving state of mind, so anything in the past-- gotta let go of all negativity and focus on the positive.”
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