When a Colorado resident is accused of a serious criminal charge, the need to seek immediate and aggressive legal defense services cannot be overstated. If a conviction is obtained on vehicular assault or homicide cases, sentencing can be devastating. An example is found in a recent case in which a man was sentenced for his role in the death of his 6-year-old niece.
According to police reports, the now 36-year-old man was drunk when he began fighting with his brother nearly two years ago. When the brother got into his car with his daughter and headed home, the man got into his own vehicle and followed. He allegedly ran a stop sign before wrecking his vehicle in the front yard of his brother’s home.
Unfortunately, the little girl was not yet in the house and was struck by her uncle’s truck. She was pinned between the truck and the house and died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. When the driver was taken into custody and tested, his blood alcohol level was found to be 0.17. He had three prior DUI arrests on his record.
The man took a plea deal and was recently sentenced to 28 years in prison. The plea agreement allowed him to avoid the potential maximum sentence of 36 years in prison. It also led to the dismissal of additional charges of first-degree murder with extreme indifference and child abuse, causing death. While the sentence in vehicular assault or homicide cases can seem extreme, Colorado cases in which a solid plea agreement is not reached can come with far worse outcomes.
Source: chieftain.com, “Pueblo driver who killed his niece, 6, sentenced to 28 years in prison“, Ryan Severance, March 24, 2017