Larimer County Attorney for Reckless Endangerment
Don’t Mess with a Tesla

A driver was charged with Reckless Endangerment after trying to run a Tesla off the road in a road rage incident. Read more about it here.

Reckless Endangerment is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person acts in a way that creates a risk of injury to another. A driver was recently charged with this crime after what appears to be a road rage incident caught on camera. According to the report, a Subaru driver apparently got upset at a Tesla driver and began chasing the Tesla down and even tries to ram into it, all while giving the middle finger. The Subaru driver narrowly misses hitting another car during the interaction. The Tesla was outfitted with cameras, which recorded the interaction. The recordings were turned over to police and the Subaru driver was identified and ticketed for Reckless Driving and Reckless Endangerment.

Fort Collins Reckless Endangerment Lawyer: Definition of Reckless Endangerment in Larimer County

The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Reckless Endangerment – C.R.S. 18-3-208 – is:

A person who recklessly engages in conduct which creates a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to another person commits reckless endangerment, which is a class 3 misdemeanor.

It would likely be argued in this case that the Subaru driver’s actions created a risk of injury to the other drivers on the road. If there had been an accident, someone could have gotten seriously hurt. It’s not enough, though, just to cause the accident. There has to be reckless conduct – meaning the focus is intent. When the Subaru driver got angry and decided to get back at the Tesla, his actions became reckless. Colorado law defines ‘recklessly’ as:

A person acts “recklessly” when he [she] consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a result will occur or that a circumstance exists.

When the Subaru driver almost hit another unrelated car, it became more obvious that the driver was disregarding the risk involved with his actions.

Sentence for Reckless Endangerment in Loveland and Estes Park

In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Reckless Endangerment is a class 3 misdemeanor. This level misdemeanor is punishable by up to 6 months in the Larimer County Jail and up to $750 in fines.

If you or someone you love has been charged with or ticketed for Reckless Endangerment, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule your free consultation today. Together, we can protect your future.

Photo by takahiro taguchi on Unsplash