A man labeled by police as a habitual traffic offender has been jailed in connection with a hit-and-run pedestrian accident on South Circle Drive during early May. The man, age 38, was allegedly driving without a valid license when he hit the 14-year-old victim. The driver faces charges in the personal injury case. He is slated to be sentenced for previous traffic crimes this month as well and is currently being held in El Paso County on a $10,000 bond.
]]> The man is accused of running down the teenager on May 3 at South Circle Drive near Airport Road, fleeing the scene afterward. The boy was running across the road at about 8:30 p.m. when he fell into the road. After picking himself up, he was run over by the man, who was driving a large pickup truck. The man fled immediately after the incident, but he was later apprehended by police at about 9 p.m., when he was taken into custody.Reports indicate that the man has had several previous convictions for traffic violations. He pleaded guilty to felony vehicular eluding after fleeing from police in 2005, receiving four years' imprisonment. He also is being sentenced this week in connection with incidents in December 2011 and February 2012, during which he was caught driving without a license.
The young boy's funeral was held just the day after the suspect was apprehended. Friends and classmates related stories about the boy, who they said was a sweet and caring individual. They related tales of hanging out at the local skate park and visiting the mall, saying that they had never met such a wonderful friend.
Source: Colorado Springs Gazette, "Friends, family pack teen's funeral; suspect had lengthy record," Ryan Maye Handy and Matt Steiner, May 9, 2012
]]>The three teenagers were returning from a religious function at The Door Christian Fellowship Church on the city's south end. They were in a small Chevrolet sedan, which was no match for the driver's large pickup truck that was hurdling down the road toward them. The girls were struck while they were turning.
]]> In addition to the three girls who died, two youngsters were severely injured when they were ejected from the bed of the truck. One of those teens was the pickup truck driver's daughter, who had reportedly told him to slow down and drive more carefully. Both of those teens were transported to the hospital by first responders. One was taken to a Denver trauma center with life-threatening injuries.The driver had been taken to the hospital for treatment for minor injuries, and he was booked into jail in Pueblo County during the early morning hours following the tragedy. The man faces a long list of charges that includes vehicular assault, DUI, reckless endangerment, disregard of a traffic-control device and vehicular homicide.
The man said that he had a couple beers before driving, but that he had stopped drinking hours before getting behind the wheel. His teenage occupants seemed to think otherwise, though, saying that he had been drinking vodka immediately before driving.
The victims killed in the crash were identified as two 14-year-old girls and one 18-year-old female, the driver.
Source: Pueblo Cheftain, "Puebloan faces multiple charges in crash that killed 3 teenagers," Anthony A. Mestas, April 30, 2012
]]>An Air Force pilot was killed earlier this month after he was involved in a car accident with a Jeep on a state highway near Monument. The 46-year-old man was riding his bicycle along Colo. 83 on April 22, according to official reports. He was hit at around 8 p.m. by the vehicle, which was traveling in the same direction. He was rear-ended by the vehicle, according to initial reports. The cyclist died at the scene.
]]> The 37-year-old driver of the Jeep was arrested and taken to jail on suspicion of vehicular homicide, according to investigators. She is also accused of driving under the influence and reckless driving, say troopers. Evidence from another 2010 case indicates that the woman had previously pleaded guilty to driving while impaired.The man's wife said he was a safe cyclist and always wore fluorescent clothing while riding to improve his visibility. He was training to improve his physical fitness, she said, but the day got dark faster than he anticipated and she planned on picking him up after his ride. Fitness was the man's true passion, according to his friends and family, who said that he died doing the thing he loved most.
The man is survived by his wife, as well as two daughters, aged 15 and 13.
The victim was an Air Force Academy graduate, serving as a pilot and intelligence officer during his time in the military. He retired in 2010, according to his family and friends. The man had logged more than 5,000 flight hours during his career, which included a stint as a pilot for Air Force Two, the plane that transports the Vice President of the United States.
Source: KRDO, "Friends remember cyclist killed by alleged drunk driver," April 24, 2012
Source: The Gazette, "Friend remembers Air Force pilot, father, cyclist killed when hit by SUV," Matt Steiner, April 24, 2012
]]>The road conditions had been wet due to the recent snow, which likely contributed to the car accident, according to state officials.
]]> The driver who caused the accident allegedly hit the woman while he was attempting to avoid another crash in the roadway that had blocked his path. The man hit the brakes when he entered the slight curve, where he lost control and swerved into oncoming traffic. The highway was closed for about two hours while the wreck was cleared.The Castle Rock man responsible for the fatal crash was subsequently charged with careless driving.
The victim of the crash had served as a member of the Wycliffe Bible Translators in Pakistan, assisting with translation efforts in the mountainous regions near the Indian border. She had been returning from a trip to Laramie, Wyoming, where she chose to speak about her service abroad. The woman's sisters said that she was particularly fond of the Wyoming landscape and people and that she immensely enjoyed speaking throughout the state.
Inclement weather can impact road conditions in the blink of an eye. It is important for motorists to adjust their speeds accordingly when the weather changes. Wet roads from the snow can leave the highways slippery and make vehicles difficult to control if the need to slow down suddenly occurs.
Source: Denver CBS 4, "Loveland woman killed in head-on crash near Colorado-Wyoming border," April 16, 2012
]]>The Colorado middle school bus driver was taken into custody recently after a student detected alcohol on the man's breath during the morning ride. The man is accused of driving a school bus of children while drunk, a situation that could have led to a very severe car accident.
]]> The 54-year-old driver was issued a summons that detailed officers' suspicion that he had been driving impaired. Charges also included child abuse and failing to drive in a designated lane, according to official reports.Police officers said the man was apprehended after a student sent a text message to his mother about the driver's erratic behavior. The student said that the man smelled like alcohol and was driving poorly. The mother subsequently called 911, alerting authorities to the allegedly intoxicated bus driver. The man had already dropped off about 30 students at the Orchard Mesa Middle when he was stopped by police officers at about 7 a.m.
The bus driver is currently suspended from his job pending the continuation of the investigation. The company that operates the bus system for School District 51 released a statement during the afternoon of April 10, expressing its commitment to student safety and the quick resolution of the case. The company is reportedly fully cooperating with authorities as the investigation continues.
Source: The Daily Sentinel, "School bus driver suspected of driving drunk," Mike Wiggins, April 10, 2012
]]>The accident occurred on Aug. 3, 2011 in the eastern part of Colorado Springs when the man allegedly broadsided a car driven by the female Air Force captain.
]]> The woman was turning left into the intersection of State Highway 94 and Curtis Road. Official reports accuse the man of running a red light while driving his SUV, which caused him to hit the woman's Honda Accord. The woman died at the scene.The man was driving home from his job at the El Paso County Jail when the crash occurred. The woman, who was stationed at Schriever Air Force Base, was also returning home from work.
Defense attorneys argue that several eyewitnesses saw the man travel through a green light, not one that had already turned red. The man's lawyers contend that the signal had a significant history of malfunction, and it's likely that the light was not working properly on the day of the crash.
Prosecution witnesses, however, described the scene differently, contending that the man had indeed failed to obey a valid traffic signal. Their descriptions set the scene for an eventual internal investigation that led to the Sheriff's Office firing the man. The prosecutor contends that an egregious lack of attention to environmental factors caused the man to crash.
The trial is set to continue through the next week with more witnesses from the prosecution taking the stand. Those witnesses will include a state trooper who was responsible for recreating the crash during the formal investigation.
Source: The Gazette, "Trial under way for former deputy accused in fatal crash," Matt Steiner, April 3, 2012
]]>Police officers are still looking for the driver of a second vehicle involved in the car accident.
]]> According to police, the rollover accident happened in the eastbound lanes of I-70. Police say a dark-red sedan contributed to the crash, but did not actually make contact with the other car, which was a 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer.Witnesses say the driver of the Trailblazer suddenly swerved into the median of the interstate. The driver lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled across the westbound lanes of I-70 before landing in the trees on the far side of the interstate.
The driver of the Trailblazer, a 39-year-old Commerce City, Colorado woman died in the crash. Officials from the Summit County Coroner's Office pronounced her dead at the scene. She was wearing her seatbelt and an autopsy is planned.
A 65-year-old woman seated in the middle of the back seat of the vehicle also died in the crash. Police say the woman was not wearing her seatbelt and suffered extensive head injuries.
A 17-month-old boy was taken to The Children's Hospital in Aurora. Police officers say the boy's car seat was not properly buckled and the boy was ejected from the vehicle when it rolled. The boy had critical injuries, but they were not considered life threatening.
A 40-year-old man, who was also unrestrained, was taken to St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood with serious injuries. A 17-year-old boy, who was wearing his seatbelt at the time of the accident, was also taken to Children's Hospital in Aurora, where he was treated and released. All five members of the family in the Trailblazer were from Commerce City.
Police say they believe the second vehicle may have been a Hyundai or an older model Toyota. The driver did not stop after the wreck.
Source: Vail Daily, "Two killed in hit-and-run accident in Frisco," Janice Kurbjun, March 26, 2012
]]>Like drunk, drowsy and distracted drivers, stoned drivers threaten the safety of other motorists. Drivers who are high tend to drift and swerve and have slower reaction times which increase their chances of causing a car accident.
]]> While Colorado and other states may have made it legal to use marijuana for medical purposes, it is still illegal to drive while impaired in all 50 states. The problem is there is not a reliable test to allow law enforcement officials to determine when a driver is under the influence of drugs. The issue may become even more critical if Colorado and other states decide to legalize pot for recreational use.Authorities would like to find a standard to measure marijuana use similar to the 0.08 percent blood-alcohol content used in all 50 states. However, marijuana's high wears off long before the drug clears the bloodstream.
Researchers are working to develop saliva tests that will allow police officers to decide whether someone has smoked marijuana recently. However, the test does nothing to indicate the person's level of impairment.
Some states, including Colorado, are considering testing drivers' blood for THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in pot. However, experts cannot come to a consensus on what the appropriate limit should be.
Colorado and another state are considering a limit of five nanograms per milliliter of blood. Other states have set the limit at two nanograms. However, the frequency of marijuana use, weight, gender and age can all distort THC blood tests.
Even the White House drug czar is not sure what the limit should be. He has been quoted as saying he will die of old age before impairment levels are set for marijuana and other drugs.
Source: The Coloradoan, "MMJ uses make it tough to determine impairment on the road," March 18, 2012
]]>The Colorado State Patrol reports the rollover accident occurred just after midnight on March 11. The 24-year-old driver of the 2003 Saturn was traveling on Camino Del Rey, roughly three miles south of Crestone, when the accident happened.
]]> The 22-year-old Crestone man was riding in the center seat in the back of the Saturn when he was ejected from the vehicle during the crash. Authorities pronounced him dead at the site of the accident. Police say he was not wearing a seatbelt when the crash happened.A 17-year-old male, who was sitting behind the driver, had a serious injury to his head. Emergency responders took him to San Luis Valley Regional medical Center. Later, they moved him to St. Mary's Corwin in Pueblo, where he was flown to Denver for additional medical services. Two days after the crash, the boy was still in critical condition.
Emergency workers transported the driver, a 23-year-old male and a 17-year-old female to San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center where they were treated and released, troopers say. None of them were wearing their seatbelt.
A Colorado State Patrol technician says he is surprised they survived the crash. Another trooper says mixing alcohol, drugs and speeding with not wearing a seatbelt is like "sitting on a stick of dynamite, waiting for it to go off."
He urged Colorado residents to report drunk drivers to help prevent similar tragedies in the future. Impaired drivers often turn with a wide radius, weave, swerve and drift. They also drive under the speed limit, accelerate rapidly and brake erratically. Drivers who turn illegally and straddle the center lane may also be impaired.
Source: The Valley Courier, "Crestone car accident kills one," Julia Wilson, March 13, 2012
]]>According to a spokesman from the Canon City Police Department, the officer assigned to the vehicle had parked it along the side of U.S. Highway 50. The officer was directing traffic around a previous car accident when the crash occurred. The spokesman says the driver of the second vehicle nearly hit the police officer before driving into the patrol car, and the officer injured his knee diving out of the way.
]]> The Fremont County Sheriff's Office investigated the car crash, and has not released additional information.Prior to that incident, a 40-year-old Canon City woman pulled in front of an 18-year-old Canon City man as she turned onto U.S. 50. The man's Chevy Coupe hit the side of the woman's GMC Envoy and rolled onto its side.
Nobody was injured in the crash, but the woman was charged with careless driving.
Two people were seriously injured in an unrelated accident about 6:00 p.m. March 3 on U.S. 50. The single-vehicle crash occurred about five miles east of Salida, Colorado.
According to the Colorado State Patrol, a 50-year-old woman ran her Ford Ranger off the right side of the road. When she tried to return the vehicle to the highway, she overcorrected and veered across two lanes of oncoming traffic before going off the left side of the road.
Her vehicle travelled down a hill and rolled over before becoming wedged against large rocks. Troopers say the vehicle nearly ended up in the Arkansas River.
Both the woman and her 41-year-old passenger had to be extricated from the vehicle. Emergency medical workers flew the passenger to St. Anthony's Central Hospital in Denver for treatment. The hospital listed the passenger's condition as critical.
The driver was taken to St. Anthony's Central and then transported to Heart of the Rockies for surgery. She was listed in fair condition.
Troopers think alcohol played a role in the crash, which remains under investigation.
Source: The Canon City Daily Record, "Accident totals cop vehicle," Carie Canterbury, March 6, 2012
]]>According to court records, the deadly car accident happened in the early hours of June 25, 2011. The man struck a 44-year-old bicyclist from behind at the intersection of Verde and South Circle drives in Colorado Springs. The man riding the bike had just finished a night shift at Popeye's and was on his way home.
]]> Police arrested the 50-year-old man the next day when he took his 1988 Buick to a repair shop to have the windshield fixed. The man said he had fallen asleep at the wheel and thought he might have hit an animal.In January 2012, the man pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dropped additional charges including driving under the influence and vehicular homicide. On Feb. 26, 2012, the judge in the case sentenced him to eight years in prison.
The prosecutor in the case said she needed to drop the driving under the influence charge. Because the man left the scene of the crime, law enforcement officials were unable to obtain a blood alcohol test following the crash. Without the test results, they could not prove the man was a drunk driver.
The prosecutor told the judge she had witnesses who said the man had consumed alcohol at a local bar and restaurant, but there was conflicting testimony about the amount of alcohol he drank. Two witnesses said the man ordered two margaritas that evening, but only finished a portion of the second drink.
While prosecutors dropped the DUI charge in this case, the man has a history of driving drunk. He was arrested and charged with DUI in 1987 and 2006. Both times he pleaded guilty to driving while ability impaired.
At the sentencing hearing, the bicyclist's father said his son was an Army veteran with three children, and loved riding his bicycle.
Source: The Colorado Springs Gazette, "Eight years in prison for driver in cyclist hit-and-run," Lance Benzel, Feb. 27, 2012
]]>A spokesman for the Aurora police department says the sports utility vehicle had stopped to let pedestrians cross the roadway. The motorcyclist was unable to stop his 2009 black Suzuki GSX in time to avoid hitting the SUV, and died from injuries sustained in the motorcycle wreck.
]]> The Aurora police lieutenant says minutes before the crash, the department got a call about two motorcyclists driving recklessly on Interstate 225 near East Iliff Avenue. The caller estimated the northbound motorcycles were going more than 75 miles per hour.A few minutes later, shortly after 5 p.m. a caller reported a motorcycle wreck in the 13100 block of East Iliff Avenue.
According to the lieutenant, two vehicles were stopped in the westbound lanes of East Iliff Avenue waiting for an adult and several children to cross the street. Officers think one of the motorcyclists successfully drove around the car stopped in the left lane of traffic.
The other motorcyclist was not as lucky, police say. He collided with the rear of a 2005 black Nissan Pathfinder stopped in the center westbound lane of East Iliff Avenue. Emergency responders took the motorcyclist to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.
The driver of the Nissan Pathfinder and the passengers in the SUV were not hurt in the crash, the lieutenant says. The pedestrians also escaped without injury.
Investigators say they believe the motorcycle's speed was a factor in the crash. They are still working to determine whether the man had used drugs or alcohol prior to the fatal accident.
Officers also hope to find the driver of the second motorcycle. The lieutenant did not release the name or age of the driver killed in the accident because police officers had not yet notified the man's family.
Source: ABC 7 News, "Motorcyclist Killed After Slamming Into SUV," Megan Jurgemeyer, Feb. 18, 2012
]]>In the first car accident, a driver hit a 21-year-old pedestrian west of the Colorado State University campus. Police say it was not the driver who had been drinking, but rather the pedestrian.
]]> According to officers at the scene, the 21-year-old Fort Collins woman was walking on Plum Street near City park when a 19-year-old man hit her with his 1995 Isuzu Trooper about 11:12 p.m. this month. Police say the man tried to avoid hitting the woman, but was unable to stop in time.Police officers at the scene say the man did not appear to be a distract driver. They also believe he was not speeding and had not been consuming alcohol.
Emergency officials transported the woman to Medical Center of the Rockies. She had moderate injuries from the crash. Police say they believe she had been drinking.
Less than two hours later, a 1999 Chevrolet sedan hit a 2002 Toyota Tacoma truck head-on near the intersection of Mulberry Street and LeMay. Police say the 39-year-old woman driving the sedan was traveling west on Mulberry Street when she tried to change lanes and lost control of her vehicle. They believe she was traveling at more than 80 miles per hour before the crash.
After the woman lost control of her vehicle, she hit a cement barrier and spun into the eastbound lanes of Mulberry Street, where she collided with the Toyota truck.
The Poudre Fire Authority removed the 39-year-old woman from her vehicle and took her to the Poudre Valley Hospital. The woman was treated for minor injuries.
Police arrested her and booked her into the Larimer County Detention Center. She was charged with driving under the influence, driving under the influence per se and reckless driving.
The 30-year-old woman driving the Toyota truck also sustained minor injuries. She was treated at the Poudre Valley Hospital.
Source: The Coloradoan, "Alcohol leads to two Fort Collins accidents Saturday, today; pedestrian injured," Feb. 12, 2012.
]]>Sadly, two sisters died earlier this month, near Alamosa, Colorado, when their vehicle collided with a semitrailer. A Colorado State Patrol spokesperson says the car accident happened on Colorado Highway 160, roughly three miles west of Alamosa, shortly before 4:45 p.m.
]]> According to police reports, a 44-year-old Center, Colorado woman was driving west on Highway 160 in a 2006 Saturn sedan. The woman apparently lost control of the vehicle on icy roads and spun into the path a semi traveling east.A 45-year-old man from Fayetteville, Arkansas was driving the semi at the time of the accident. After the car crash, the semi rolled onto its right side, according to police reports. The semi was carrying a load of potatoes.
A staff member from the Alamosa County Coroner's Office pronounced the 44-year-old driver of the Saturn sedan dead at the scene of the accident. Her 50-year-old sister, a resident of Ranchos De Taos, New Mexico, also died in the wreck. Both sisters were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the collision.
The 45-year-old semi driver was not injured in the accident. He was also wearing his seatbelt when the collision occurred, according to the police report.
Neither driver is suspected of using alcohol or drugs prior to the wreck, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The Colorado State Patrol spokesperson urged drivers to be prepared for quickly changing road conditions during winter weather. Highway 160 was relatively clear to the east and to the west of the accident site. However, the section of road where the accident happened was icy and covered with snow.
Source: The Valley Courier, "Names released of fatal accident victims," Feb. 3, 2012
]]>Witnesses to the fatal car accident state that the man's leg became tangled in a tow cable he had connected to the SUV. The man was dragged behind the vehicle for over a mile before his legs were "severed" from his body.
]]> The woman is charged with manslaughter, vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of a car accident, reckless driving, failure to obey a traffic control device, failing to stop for a stop sign, unsafe or defective vehicle and unregistered vehicle.In addition to the criminal charges, the tow truck driver's widow has filed a lawsuit against the woman, claiming wrongful death. The suit seeks damages for the woman's negligent and careless actions.
Since the accident, the woman's relatives have said she was unaware that she was dragging the man behind her.
On Jan. 30, 2012, the judge in the case ruled the trial would not be delayed, even though two pieces of electronic evidence are missing. According to the woman's lawyers, the missing DVDs showed police interviewing people who witnessed the man's death.
The lawyers say the missing DVDs contained evidence that witnesses have changed their initial stories. The evidence would have helped the woman's case, her attorneys allege. Transcripts of the interviews are still available.
The judge agreed there was an evidence violation, but said the trial will continue. He said the woman's attorneys can question police officers about the missing DVDs.
Source: ABC 7 News, "Jury Selection Under Way In Dragging Death of Tow Truck Driver," Deb Stanley, Jan. 31, 2012.
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