A Monte Vista, Colorado, man who attempted to stop a woman from driving drunk over the weekend was tragically killed once she got behind the wheel of her car.
Local news affiliate CBS 4 Denver reports that the 25-year-old victim had been trying to prevent an allegedly intoxicated 21-year-old woman from driving on the night of Sunday, February 15. When he failed to stop her from getting into the car, he jumped onto the hood of the vehicle. Unfortunately, following this, the 21-year-old driver reportedly ran her car into a nearby tree, killing the man who had been trying to stop her.
The Monte Vista police department issued an official statement on the matter, revealing "that a domestic disturbance took place prior to the vehicle crash," though it was not disclosed what exactly the dispute was over or what the relationship between the accused and the victim were.
The 21-year-old driver has since been charged with vehicular homicide, DUI and reckless driving. It is unknown if the victim's family will be filing for additional litigation.
Tragedies like this underscore how quickly drunk driving can turn deadly, not only claiming the life of a victim but also potentially ruining the rest of the accused's life due to a single mistake. Vehicular homicide is a very serious offense, especially when compounded with a DUI charge, which can have drivers looking at years of jail time served, not to mention significant financial penalties and the loss of their license.
If you've been caught on the wrong end of a mistake like this and need expert legal counsel to defend your case, contact The Orr Law Firm right away.