A woman charged with vehicular homicide and DUI for her alleged part in a fatal Commerce City car crash last year is slated to receive sentencing this April.
The 56-year-old accused had been allegedly driving under the influence last November when she collided with another vehicle in Commerce City, killing the other car's 24-year-old driver. According to the Denver Post, the accident occurred at around 4:30 a.m. at the intersection of 60th Avenue and Vasquez Boulevard, where the woman in question reportedly ran a red light before crashing her SUV into the victim's vehicle.
Police pronounced the 24-year-old girl dead at the scene. The accused driver was seriously injured in the accident and was subsequently treated at Denver Health Medical Center. Following her release, she was charged with vehicular homicide, DUI and reckless driving. CBS Denver 4 reports that the 56-year-old had a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of .358 at the time of the crash, nearly 4.5 times the legal limit of .08.
On February 26, the defendant pleaded guilty to the charges of vehicular homicide and DUI. The source adds that she will be sentenced in April.
While a DUI in Colorado on its own may be considered a misdemeanor, that charge — and the consequences it can bring for those accused — is immediately upgraded to a felony offense if there's a vehicular homicide involved too. A combination of criminal traffic offenses like these can have defendants looking at years in prison, not to mention the loss of their driver's license and steep financial penalties.
If you've been accused of a similar offense and aren't sure where to turn, set up an appointment with The Orr Law Firm for the expert legal counsel that your case deserves.