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'She could barely stand up' | Man hit by accused DUI driver speaks out after learning driver is accused of DUI that killed UH student

Iliana Zepeda, 22, is charged in connection with the death of UH student, Renzo Olano-Flores. Seven months before, Emanual Champs was her first alleged DUI victim.

HOUSTON — A Houston man was sad to learn that the woman accused of being drunk when she crashed into him on the highway last May is the same woman accused in a recent DUI case in which a University of Houston student was killed.

Iliana Zepeda, 22, remained in jail as of Wednesday night after a judge set her bond at $1 million.

RELATED: UH student killed by accused drunk driver who was out on bond for another DUI charge

Her previous bond amount, for the DUI charge in which Emanual Champs was the alleged victim, was set at $100. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office said she didn’t pay any of it before she was released last summer.

“It was a scary moment,” Champs said as he reflected on the day he was hit by Zepeda. “This car was just speeded up behind us. Had to be going over 100.”

Champs was hit from behind and lost control of his car.

“My car flew like a helicopter blade … across the freeway, across the feeder and into a parking lot. I was, like, 'whoa. We could’ve lost our life.'”

Champs said he went to check on Zepeda after the crash and that she showed symptoms of being intoxicated.

“She could barely stand up. She was talking, slobbering,” he said.

Court documents revealed that Zepeda and the passenger in her vehicle walked away from the scene. Officers later found her outside a nearby hotel, conducted a field sobriety test and arrested her for DUI. Court documents show she admitted to drinking at a club in downtown Houston before driving. Her bond was set at $100.

RELATED: DA vows to go after bar that served alleged drunken driver in UH student's death

Seven months later, she's now accused of driving drunk again.

“She went out again, and in less than a year, did the same thing but this time killed somebody,” said Lynn Nguyen, Chief of the Harris Co DA’s vehicular crimes division.

On Feb. 6, 24-year-old University of Houston student Renzo Olano-Flores was killed when investigators say Zepeda was drunk, ran a red light in Katy and hit his car. Investigators said she also left that scene but was later brought back by her sister.

Olano-Flores' funeral was last Friday. His family is still raising money to pay for it.

Texas is notorious for fatal DUI crashes. The Texas Department of Public Safety said a person dies every 9 hours and 6 minutes and that Harris County leads the state.

Champs feels lucky he’s OK, however, he was sad to hear about Olano-Flores.

“That’s someone's life and that’s someone's kid,” he said.

His life has gotten harder. His car was totaled and he can’t afford a new one. Champs said Zepeda didn’t have insurance and he didn’t have full coverage.

“I’ve got to go to work. Now, I’m catching the bus to work," he said.

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