Just a few miles northwest of Denver sits suburban Broomfield. Early last month there was a tragic car accident in the town in which a 16-year-old Broomfield High School student was struck and killed while he was getting into his car.
A few days ago, a 17-year-old Lafayette student was charged with vehicular homicide and being under the influence at the time of the Nov. 3 crash.
Law enforcement officials also charged the youth with reckless driving and additional allegations. They have apparently declined to give details to the media about the intoxicants the teen is alleged to have been under the influence of that day.
In Colorado, a driver under age 21 can be charged with an underage drinking and driving offense (UDD) if they have a blood alcohol content (BAC) of at least .02 percent but less than .05 percent. If their BAC is at .05 percent or above, they are charged as if they were adult drivers accused of DUI.
However, in the Broomfield case, it’s not clear if alcohol is even alleged to be part of the day’s tragedy. Police investigators said that after examining the inside of the white Kia driven by the teen charged, they found marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
Police and prosecutors have not said if the teen is believed to have been under the influence of marijuana or not.
Because he is underage, he has been charged as a juvenile. According to a TV station report, that means he faces up to two years in a youth correctional facility if he is found guilty.
Anyone facing these serious charges – whether youth or adult – should discuss their case and circumstances with an experienced criminal defense attorney before talking with the prosecution.
Source: CBS Denver, “Teen Driver Faces Vehicular Homicide & DUI Charges In Crash That Killed Student,” Dec. 16, 2014