Pueblo Man Sentenced to Nearly 70 Years in Prison for Fatal DUI Accident

A 37-year-old man who had been facing about 15 serious charges associated with a fatal DUI accident that occurred in May 2012 has recently been sentenced to nearly 70 years in prison for his role in causing the crash. According to court documents, the man has been driving while intoxicated at a speed of more than 100 miles per hour when his truck crashing into another passenger vehicle car with three teenagers inside; these three teenagers – ages 18, 14 and 14 – were killed in the DUI accident, and two teenagers who had been riding in the bed of…

Man Accused of DUI, Killing Cyclist Charged with Five Crimes, 2 Felonies

Patrick Ward, the 69-year-old man who now stands accused of killing a bicyclist while driving drunk, has officially been charged in his case and currently faces five different criminal counts. In addition to being charged with a misdemeanor DUI and a weapons charge, Ward has also been charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, with: One count of vehicular manslaughter tied to the drunk driving charge and filed as a Class 3 felony offense; and The other count of vehicular manslaughter tied to a reckless driving charge and filed as a Class 4 felony offense. Ward is currently being held…

MADD Has Surprising Reaction to NTSB’s Push to Lower Legal Limit

In the wake of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announcing that it would be pushing states to lower the legal limit for drivers’ blood alcohol content (BAC) from 0.08 to 0.05, MADD – Mothers Against Drunk Driving – has had a surprisingly lackluster response. Given that MADD’s goal is to stop drunk driving altogether and to support victims injured in drunk driving accidents, many thought that MADD leaders would be in full support of the NTSB’s efforts to lower the legal limit for impairment for drivers in the U.S. However, MADD leaders have come forward to publicly state that…

NTSB Petitions States to Lower BAC Limit for DUIs to 0.05

Federal officials with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are petitioning state officials to lower the legal limit for drivers’ blood alcohol content (BAC) from the current limit of 0.08 to 0.05. This recommendation, which was made earlier this week, has been made as a way of trying to reduce the number of drunk driving-related deaths that occur on U.S. highways each year. Currently, approximately 1 in every 3 traffic accident fatalities in the U.S. – about 10,000 deaths annually – is caused by a DUI accident. By cutting the BAC limit nearly in half, officials with the NTSB argue…

Man Arrested in Boulder for Alleged DUI, Vehicular Manslaughter

A 69-year-old man is currently being held in the Boulder County Jail on a $25,000 bond after being arrested for an alleged DUI and vehicular manslaughter following an accident that killed a bicyclist. According to the police report associated with this case, the victim was a 46-year-old man who had been riding his bicycle on Main Street this past Saturday when the suspect, who had allegedly been driving the wrong way on Main Street, attempted to make a turn and hit the bicyclist. While the police report did disclose that the suspect has a previous DUI conviction (in 1975), details…

Man Charged with DUI, Vehicular Manslaughter after Fatal Car Accident

A Littleton man is currently facing charges of DUI, vehicular manslaughter and careless driving after a fatal car accident that occurred Monday ended up killing an off-duty Littleton police officer. According to the police report associated with the case, the suspect had been driving eastbound on East Belleview Avenue in Aurora when he made a left-hand turn that cut off the police officer who was riding his motorcycle coming from the opposite direction. The abrupt left-hand turn resulted in the officer’s motorcycle crashing into the left-hand side of the suspect’s vehicle. Although the cop had been wearing a helmet at…

Woman Suspected of DUI Arrested after Allegedly Hitting Cop Car

A woman who is suspected of drunk driving was arrested in the early morning hours of May 2 after she allegedly was speeding and clipped a cop car. The police officer had been parked and was conducting a speed enforcement operation when he was hit by the suspect. Because the woman ended up stopping about 60 feet in from the officer’s vehicle, the arresting officer has alleged that the woman was driving approximately 80 miles per hour when she hit the cop car. To ensure that both the officer and the female suspect did not sustain any critical injuries, both…

DUI Suspected in Fatal Car Accident in Denver

A car accident that occurred at about 12:30am on Monday April 15 in Denver (at 17th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard) has left one man dead and four others seriously injured, and police are still investigating the details of this fatal car accident. Currently, law enforcement officials think that the driver of the passenger vehicle involved was under the influence of alcohol and that the accident occurred when the allegedly intoxicated driver ran a red light while speeding and then t-boned a taxi cab. The 29-year-old taxi cab driver was pronounced dead at the scene upon paramedics arrival, and the taxi’s…

Denver Man Charged with DUI, Hit-and-Run & 6 Other Crimes

A 35-year-old Denver man is currently in custody and facing multiple criminal charges for allegedly crashing into two parked cars while intoxicated and then fleeing the scene of the accident on foot. Although authorities have not released a lot of specific information associated with the case – including whether the man is suspected of drug and/or alcohol intoxication, what his blood alcohol content (BAC) allegedly was at the time of the car accident and whether the man was on probation or parole at the time of the incident, police did release the laundry list of charges the man faces, which…

Texas Man Faces DUI, Vehicular Assault Charges after Fort Collins Accident

A 31-year-old Texas man, Timothy Lewey, has been arrested for a serious DUI-related offense that involved him allegedly hitting and injuring two pedestrians near Fort Collins last week. According to the police report, Lewey had been out celebrating a new job and admitted to drinking one shot of alcohol and three beers within a two hour-period. After 2am, he told police that he had been trying to use Google maps on his cellphone while he was driving when his car drove off an embankment, hitting two pedestrians, a 37-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man. While the woman, who was found…

Pueblo Man Plead Guilty in DUI Case Involving 3 Fatalities

A Pueblo man who stood accused of killing three teenagers and injuring two others in a car accident that occurred in April 2012 has plead guilty to five of the 15 charges he faced. According to the court documents, Gilbert Sanchez, 37, had been driving at a speed in excess of 100 miles per hour when his truck hit another vehicle. While the driver and passengers in the other vehicle were killed as a result of the accident, two individuals who were riding in the back of Sanchez’s truck were seriously injured when the accident caused them to be thrown…

DUI Charges Filed Against Man Accused of Running into Kiosk

A 28-year-old Boulder man has been charged with DUI and various other crimes for allegedly running into a visitors’ kiosk late Tuesday night and then fleeing the scene of the crime. According to the police report, Jeremy Cordova allegedly ran into and knocked over a visitors’ kiosk at the Davidson Mesa overlook, left his car at the scene and went to a nearby residence to request help. The resident called Boulder police who responded to the scene and assessed that Cordova appeared to be under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol; however, the police report does not clarify whether Cordova…

An Overview of Vehicular Assault Charges & Penalties

Vehicular assault charges are filed when a negligent driver injures another person in a car accident; the person injured could be a: Passenger in the accused individual’s car Driver of another vehicle Passenger in another vehicle Bicyclist or motorcyclist Pedestrian While vehicular assault charges are serious felony crimes, the specific severity of the charges filed will depend on a number of factors, including (but not limited to) whether the accused individual: Is suspected of being intoxicated with drugs and/or alcohol at the time of the accident If a driver is suspected of DUI and vehicular assault, Class 4 felony charges…

Fatal Car Crash May Have Been Caused by Drug-Related DUI

A 35-year-old Longmont man, Pablo Bustillos, has been arrested for and charged with various crimes associated with a fatal car accident. Police believe that Bustillos, who has a criminal record of trafficking methamphetamines, was under the influence of meth when the car accident occurred. Currently, Bustillos is facing charges of multiple traffic violations, as well as far more grave charges of: One count of vehicular manslaughter, which will likely be charged as a Class 3 felony because DUI charges will also be filed in this case. Class 3 felonies are punishable by up to 24 years in prison upon conviction….

Man Cited for DUI after Hitting Aurora Power Line, Leaving the Scene

A 36-year-old man has been cited with a DUI after allegedly crashing his car into a high-voltage Aurora power line tower on Sunday and then leaving the scene of the accident. According to authorities, the suspect hit an Xcel Energy Tower at about 5:30 am on Sunday morning, severely bending one of the tower’s four legs and pulling it out of the ground. Although no one lost power due to the car accident and authorities were able to stabilize the tower to prevent it from crushing nearby houses, residents were evacuated to prevent any possible injuries. The driver, who had left…

CU Student Arrested for Third DUI after a Highway Car Chase

A 22-year-old student of the University of Colorado has been arrested for DUI after leading police in a car chase that ended with the suspect’s vehicle crashing into a median. The car chase after the DUI began when a University police officer noticed the suspect’s car, which had two flat tires, was driving on a campus side walk. When the driver refused to stop as the officer was attempting to waive her over to the side of the road, the officer notified nearby police officers who quickly found the driver’s car and attempted once again to pull it over. Instead,…

Boulder Man Pleads Guilty for DUI That Led to Death of Unborn Baby

A 54-year-old Boulder-area man has pled guilty to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges stemming from a drunk driving incident that left two women injured and the unborn baby of one woman dead. The man had been originally charged with a number of serious crimes, including: Two felony counts of vehicular assault, each count of which is a Class 4 felony in Colorado that is punishable by up to 12 years in prison and between $2,000 and $500,000 in fines (According to Colorado law, the death of the unborn child was included as part of the vehicular assault charges for the…

Denver Cop Causes Car Accident, May Be Charged with DUI

On Sunday January 6th, a Denver police officer allegedly caused a rollover car accident while driving drunk and was subsequently charged with DUI. The 39-year-old cop was not on duty at the time of the DUI accident, which involved the officer hitting an SUV that contained three people; upon impact, the SUV swerved into a concrete barrier and then rolled onto its roof. Although the SUV passengers refused immediate medical care from an ambulance, they may have some injuries – such as whiplash – that can take days or weeks to display symptoms. The officer facing the DUI has not…

Longmont, CO Woman Accused of Fatally Running Over Teen

A woman from Longmont, Colorado has been arrested for allegedly hitting a 16-year-old boy in Denver on New Year’s Eve and then fleeing the scene of the crime. The boy was allegedly trying to escape from a fight, and the accused woman is known to have been friends with those who were involved in the fight. The alleged hit-and-run occurred in the 2200 block of North Main Street, and the woman is facing third degree felony charges for the fatal car accident. The accused woman’s mother has stated that her daughter could not have possibly committed the crime because she…

CO Careless Driving Charge Filed Against SUV Motorist in Fatal Crash

Two pedestrian women were killed and a toddler injured after being struck by a man driving a sport utility vehicle in Colorado Springs. Denver criminal defense lawyers understand that those who live nearby were quoted by reporters as saying the intersection where it occurred has been a problem for years. This could be key in the case against the SUV driver, who was arrested and is facing charges of careless driving resulting in death and pedestrian’s right of way in a crosswalk. The charge of careless driving resulting in death is categorized as a Class 1 misdemeanor. As such, it…

Arrest Made in Fatal Denver Hit-and-Run Crash

An arrest has been made in a fatal Denver hit-and-run that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old University of Denver student, an Iranian native. Auto accident defense lawyers understand that the 45-year-old was arrested after local law enforcement received a tip. The suspect was being held at the Denver jail, charged with failing to report an accident and vehicular homicide. Under Colorado Revised Statute 42-4-1601, if you are involved in a crash that involves death or injury, you have a responsibility to stop at the scene and perform some basic duties, which are outlined in Colorado Revised Statute 42-4-1603….

Over-Weighted Trucks

Overloaded or over-weighted trucks are a hazard for both the driver and other motorists on highways. Thousands of people are hurt or killed in traffic accidents involving a large truck, and many involved large trucks carrying dangerously heavy loads. If you’ve recently been involved in an accident involving a large truck, it’s imperative that you talk to a personal injury attorney to learn about the legal options you have. You may be entitled to compensation for your pain and suffering and may be able to recover damages for medical costs or other expenses related to your injuries. A trucking company…

What Should You Do After a Motorcycle Crash?

Being involved in a motorcycle crash is a scary and traumatic experience. It’s hard to keep your cool when emotions are running high, but it’s important to remain calm and try to get as much information as you can at the accident scene. The more information you can provide to the police, the better they can do their jobs. Should you decide to meet with a personal injury attorney to discuss legal options, the information you obtain may prove valuable. When you’ve been involved in a motorcycle crash, you should call 911 even if you weren’t injured or feel fine….

FBI Suspects Captured in CO After High-Speed Chase

According to the Denver Post, two suspects wanted by the FBI after a series of crimes in various states were captured in Pueblo, Colorado. The two suspects, brother and sister, are accused of a police shooting in Florida and a bank robbery in Georgia. They were apprehended in Colorado after a chase involving police officers that resulted in a motor vehicle accident. Anyone who is accused of serious crimes like these involving firearms or other deadly weapons in the state of Colorado needs a seasoned Colorado criminal defense attorney to argue for their innocence in court. When it comes to…

DUI and Vehicular Assault in Colorado

Charges for Driving Under the Influence can result in serious penalties like high fines, driver’s license suspension and even jail time, but these penalties get even harsher when the DUI arrest also involves a motor vehicle accident. Being arrested for causing a car accident while driving drunk can be a traumatic and terrifying experience, but you can get help. If you find yourself in this situation, contact an experienced Colorado DUI and criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. A DUI defense attorney can help you answer your charges for DUI, and they can also help you when it comes…

Vehicular Assault & Vehicular Manslaughter

In Colorado, the serious criminal charges of vehicular assault or manslaughter can arise when a driver hurts a pedestrian, another driver and even a passenger in their own vehicle during an accident. Both vehicular assault and manslaughter can be leveled at a driver, even if they weren’t intending to hurt anybody and even if they were driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Getting into a car accident that hurts or kills someone can be a traumatic experience for everybody involved, and having to face criminal charges as a result can make the situation worse. If you’re facing vehicular…

DUI Victims

Sometimes accidents just happen — but when someone who’s had too much to drink attempts to drive, they are gambling with others lives. It’s not an accident; it’s negligence. The law holds drivers accountable for their actions when they’ve been drinking, both in terms of personal injury lawsuits and criminal action. But the law goes one step further in the relief it offers to victims of DUI accidents. It allows people who are injured and families who have lost a loved one in a drunk driving accident to bring a case against the bar, restaurant, or person who served alcohol…