Driver jailed for killing Fetcham medical student says sorry
A DRIVER who killed a Fetcham medical student who was cycling across America for charity has been jailed for four years.
David Williams, who was 26, died on the second day of a 4,000-mile ride in aid of poverty relief charity Find Your Feet.
His father Bill, of Bell Lane, and sister Laura, of Cannon Grove, returned from the USA on Saturday after watching 21-year-old Aaron Richard Ceja sentenced at San Luis Obispo Superior Court, California.
"Seeing the young man who killed David in court was harrowing but it was something we both wanted to do," Mr Williams said.
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"We wanted to do it for David and we wanted to do it for ourselves, and I think we both feel a huge relief that the court case is now in the past."
Ceja was sentenced to four years in state prison on March 7 after pleading "no contest" to gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.
When he collided with David near Oceano on June 25 last year, he was driving his 4x4 vehicle while more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.
Addressing the Williams family in court, Ceja said: "From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry and I know I cannot take back what I did. I would like to dedicate the rest of my life to living in David's memory by doing charity work and keeping kids from drinking and driving."
Mr Williams said: "I believed him. I think he meant it and I'm glad he said it and I stood up and said 'thank you' to him."
At court Miss Williams said: "I miss him so much.
"I knew I had a secure future with David around, but now life just seems very empty and lonely."
David, who volunteered at Treetops activity centre for disabled children in Chertsey, planned to start a community hospital teaching first aid in South America after finishing medical school.
To honour his memory, the family have made substantial donations from his travel insurance pay-out to Treetops and the International Childcare Trust (ICT), another charity he supported.
In November, his mother Betty cycled across Sri Lanka for ICT.
"It was a real challenge for me," she said.
"David often set me challenges and I felt he would be very proud of me for doing it."
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