CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — The man convicted in a deadly August 2022 crash near Castle Rock that killed two high school students was sentenced last week to 31 years in prison.
Ricky Avalos-Trujillo was convicted in May by a Douglas County jury on the following charges in the crash that killed Castle View High School students Audrey Todd and Colton Bellamy, both 17, and critically injured a third teen:
- 2 counts of vehicular homicide-DUI
- 1 count of vehicular assault-DUI
- 2 counts of careless driving resulting in injury
- 2 counts of careless driving resulting in death
>The video above is from August 2022.
Avalos-Trujillo was driving south in the northbound lanes on the Interstate 25 frontage road near Castle Rock when he crashed into a truck carrying four teenagers.
When questioned by Colorado State Patrol troopers, Avalos-Trujillo said he had fallen asleep behind the wheel. The District Attorney's Office said the investigation determined he was speeding and driving on the wrong side of the road, and that he was serving probation for a previous DUI crash that caused injuries in California.
A trooper noted that Avalos-Trujillo had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and the odor of alcohol coming from his mouth. Blood test results showed a blood alcohol concentration of .091 and a marijuana (THC) level of 7.7ng (nanograms) in his system.
The District Attorney's Office said 31 years was the maximum sentence possible for the charges that Avalos-Trujillo was convicted on.
“Every death is tragic, but to see two young lives lost and another gravely injured is heartbreaking,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Meghan Gallo. “All of the devastation caused by this defendant’s choices was preventable if only the defendant, who knew first-hand the dangers of drunk driving, had not chosen to get behind the wheel.”
“He should have never been behind the wheel, and unfortunately, his victims and their families will have to live with the impacts of that decision for the rest of their lives,” said Deputy District Attorney Sherri Giger. “This is an individual who has proven he cannot safely be in our community, and we appreciate that the judge’s sentence ensures that he won’t threaten the safety of other innocent drivers for years to come.
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