A man in Colorado is currently facing charges of driving under the influence. Police said the man’s decision to drive while intoxicated led to the death of a teenage boy as well as injuries to another individual. The alleged DUI accident occurred on a recent Thursday morning.
At about 2:54 a.m., authorities received many reports about a vehicle that was going south on Interstate 25 in the lanes going north. A sheriff’s deputy tried to pull the 25-year-old driver over, but he reportedly did not stop. Police said the man ended up colliding into a vehicle going north.
A 16-year-old individual was driving the vehicle that was reportedly struck and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The passenger in this vehicle, a 19-year-old man, passed away at the accident scene. The man who police said struck the teenagers is now facing a misdemeanor DUI charge, a vehicular assault charge and a vehicular homicide charge. He also suffered injuries in the accident, but they were deemed to be less serious. Police reported that all individuals involved in the accident were wearing safety belts at the time of the head-on crash.
The man accused of DUI in Colorado has the right to proceed to trial to fight his multiple charges. At trial, the prosecution has to prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt before a conviction can happen. Alternatively, the man may seek to negotiate a plea deal with the prosecution, which may result in lesser charges and thus a more lenient sentence than what would be rendered following a guilty verdict at trial.
Source: reporterherald.com, “Man charged in DUI crash that killed Windsor teen, injured another“, Dana Rieck, Nov. 30, 2016