Two individuals recently lost their lives in a two-vehicle crash in Colorado. This accident was reportedly the result of driving under the influence and has led to the arrest of an 18-year-old man on a DUI charge, along with other criminal charges. The fatal accident took place on a Friday in early April.
According to police, a car was making a left turn from one street onto another when it was hit by another car going north on the second street. Witnesses reported that the vehicle going north was being operated aggressively. The two individuals who passed away in the crash were in the car that was making the left turn. One died at the crash scene, while the other passed away at the hospital. Meanwhile, one passenger in the other car suffered minor injuries.
The man who police said was driving under the influence when the crash happened faces charges of vehicular homicide (two counts) and DUI (one count). He also faces charges of reckless driving (one count) and possessing a forged instrument (one count). He was jailed on a bond of $50,000.
A person who has been charged with DUI in Colorado may fight the charge at trial, where prosecutors have to prove the accusation beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can take place. This standard exists so as to prevent innocent people from being found guilty of crimes and sentenced accordingly. A person facing criminal charges may be given the opportunity to strike a plea deal with prosecutors, which may lead to lighter charges and/or a more lenient sentence than what would result following a guilty verdict at trial.
Source: kdvr.com, “Teen driver charged with DUI after two killed in crash on South Colorado Boulevard“, April 1, 2016