One man recently pleaded guilty to killing two of his close friends in an automobile accident. The accident was the result of drunken driving. Vehicular assault or homicide charges can be filed against a person believed to have caused an accident due to driving while intoxicated in Colorado.
The driver, an 18-year-old male, said he had taken shots while at a party one day and also smoked pot. He then got into a vehicle with three of his friends. Police said the man was going 80 mph in an area where the speed limit was 40 mph. That is when he ran a stop sign.
The automobile ended up going airborne three times before crashing through part of a fence. The vehicle then came into contact with trees, leading to the deaths of a 17-year-old and an 18-year-old. Another person riding in the car suffered injuries in the crash, but he did recover from his injuries. Authorities said that at the time of the crash, the driver’s blood alcohol level was .10 percent, which is higher than the .08 percent legal limit. Tests also showed that he had THC, the active ingredient of marijuana, in his system.
The man pleaded guilty to two vehicular homicide counts. This was done in exchange for having all other counts against the man dismissed, which included DUI and vehicular assault. He faces between four years and six years behind bars as part of an incarceration program that targets juveniles. Any person who faces charges of vehicular assault or homicide is entitled to the exact same legal protections guaranteed to people facing other types of criminal charges in Colorado.
Source: gazette.com, “Parker teen pleads guilty in Black Forest crash that killed two“, Lance Benzel, Aug. 10, 2015