With the cold weather and snow, winter activities are in full swing, including sledding. A few Colorado Springs friends thought it would be fun to tie a sled to the back of the car and drive around a parking lot, much like a boat pulls a tube on the water. What started as a fun outing became a fatal crime, when the driver crashed into a parked car and the man sledding behind the car was killed. Now, the driver is facing Vehicular Assault charges.
What is Vehicular Assault and Vehicular Homicide in Larimer County?
In Larimer, Boulder and Grand County, C.R.S. 18-3-205 – Vehicular Assault – is defined by Colorado law as:
(b) If a person operates or drives a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs, or a combination of both alcohol and one or more drugs, and this conduct is the proximate cause of a serious bodily injury to another, such person commits vehicular assault. This is a strict liability crime.
Colorado law defines C.R.S. 18-3-106 – Vehicular Homicide – as:
How Sledding Leads to Felony Charges
An accident occurred and now prison time is a real possibility for this man.
The man in this case is being charged with Vehicular Assault for driving recklessly and causing serious bodily injury to his friend, ultimately resulting in his death. Now, instead of just having to deal with his friend’s death and the fact he played a role in it, he is facing a class 5 felony. He could also face the class 3 felony of Vehicular Homicide. His friend most likely wanted to participate in the sledding endeavor and it was supposed to be a fun activity. Instead, an accident occurred and now prison time is a real possibility for this man.