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SALT LAKE CITY -- A man crashed his car into a Salt Lake City home Sunday, and then ran from officers. He was arrested a short time later. The family who lives in that home says the incident adds to an already challenging year.
Albino Gabriel Juak, 20, has a history of running from the law just like he did over the weekend. His rap sheet includes drug-related charges going back to 2009.
Police say Juak's reckless driving sent 31-year-old Curtis Howard to the hospital.
"The car coming through the front yard like that, kinda rockin' the world. It's like, you know, no way! All at the same time," Howard said.
Doctors diagnosed Howard with stage 4 colon cancer back in December and Sunday's incident was just one more thing to deal with.
The car came careening down the street, hit a parked Honda, and then hit a tree. That catapulted Juak's vehicle on top of a Toyota Corolla and Jaguar here. It also hit the house.
"A lot of us were hurt a little bit. But to hit him, after everything he's been through, it's just unbelievable that that would even happen, that we would all be in the yard at that time," said Shannon Howard, Curtis Howard's wife.
Along with his cancer treatments, doctors put seven staples in the back of Howard's head. Now he deals with headaches, body aches, and struggles to forgive the man who he says has added to his problems.
"(I'm) pretty pissed off, you know. He had to have known that he hit people. There were five people out in the front yard. He had to have known he hit me," Curtis Howard said.
His mother-in-law, Sharon Paro, saw the whole incident. She says she hopes what happened to her family can help Juak turn his life around
"I would love to talk to him and get more information. You know, learn a little bit of history," Paro said. "I'm sure he's got issues as well."
Police booked Juak on several charges, including hit-and-run, damaging property and bodily injury. Court documents show he was born in Ethiopia. His case could be turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
For those wishing to help the Howard family, the Curtis Bryce Howard Cancer Fund has been set up at America First Credit Union. You can donate* at any branch.
E-mail: niyamba@ksl.com
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*ksl.com has not verified the accuracy of the information provided with respect to the account nor does ksl.com assure that the monies deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
