ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. — An Adams County commander who failed to come to a complete stop at a stop sign and collided with another vehicle was convicted of careless driving resulting in death, the Adams County District Attorney's Office announced Thursday.
John Paul Bitterman, 44, was on duty and driving in an unmarked patrol vehicle when on March 29, 2019, he ran the stop sign at the East 88th Avenue and Colorado Highway 79 intersection located about seven miles north of Bennett.
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Bennett is located about 35 driving miles east of Denver.
Bitterman's vehicle collided with a Nissan Murano, and the crash resulted in the death of 85-year-old Eira Saenz Sandoval, the DA said.
The Nissan's driver, 58-year-old Maria Del Refugio Corral Saenz, was injured, suffering a fractured tibia and sternum.
The DA said evidence indicated Bitterman was logging into his computer system while driving moments before the crash, and that he slowed briefly at the stop sign before pushing the pedal to the floor at the time the two vehicles collided.
The investigation also found that neither vehicle had slowed prior to impact, and that sun glare may have been a factor for Saenz, the DA said.
Bitterman will be sentenced on Feb. 28. The Adams County Sheriff's Office said he is still employed by the department.
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