Family of DUI crash victim protests outside courthouse

23ABC News

Loved ones of 66-year-old Gayla Sue Price gathered outside the courthouse in opposition to the approved release of Karim Reyad, 18.

Transcript

00:00 We begin this hour with a local family's protest.

00:03 Loved ones of 66-year-old Gayla Sue Price

00:06 gathered outside the courthouse Sunday morning

00:08 in opposition to the approved release

00:10 of 18-year-old Kareem Raiyat.

00:12 He's the teenager that hit Price head on

00:16 in a collision that ultimately took her life.

00:18 23 ABC's Ruby Rivera was there and picks up this story.

00:22 Anger, confusion, and overall disappointment.

00:25 That's how family members described their emotions

00:27 as they chanted off of Truxton Avenue

00:29 near the courthouse Sunday morning.

00:31 No justice, no peace!

00:34 18-year-old Kareem Raiyat is set to be temporarily released

00:37 to his family on September 4th

00:38 to receive medical treatment at Loma Linda Hospital.

00:41 Many family members I spoke with said they were outraged.

00:44 Gayla Price's niece, Stacy Cooley, says

00:46 she believes it's an excuse to avoid facing the consequences.

00:50 People shouldn't be able to walk so easily.

00:53 You know what I mean?

00:54 Let me use my femur as an excuse.

00:58 To go home to my mom, you know what I mean?

01:03 That don't make no sense to me.

01:04 Daughter of Gayla Price, Crystal Nielsen,

01:07 says while Sunday's protest was a way

01:08 to bring more awareness to her mother's death,

01:11 they're also trying to inform the community on a bigger issue.

01:13 We want to fight for more harder laws on this type of behavior.

01:19 Our town is being ran over by these certain drivers

01:23 that are driving under the influence,

01:25 and I feel like nothing's being done.

01:27 Nielsen says her family is still mourning

01:29 the loss of her mother,

01:30 saying that the only comfort she received

01:32 was knowing that Riyad was in custody,

01:34 but she says that, too, has now been taken away from her.

01:37 Cooley says she believes that the judge made a mistake

01:40 regarding the recent decision

01:41 and wants the public to put themselves in their shoes.

01:44 But that's okay.

01:46 That's fair for him to get out and go home to mama.

01:50 I'm not standing for that, and we will get justice.

01:53 Family members say their efforts won't stop

01:55 after Sunday's protest and have plans to continue

01:58 to spread awareness if they feel that proper changes

02:00 haven't been made.

02:02 In downtown Bakersfield, Rubira Vera, 23 ABC News,

02:05 connecting you.

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