A Colorado woman could be spending the next 26 years in prison for a fatal crash last year that prosecutors say resulted from road rage. The 30-year-old woman, who is from Frederick, was found guilty by a Weld County jury of vehicular homicide and third-degree assault for the crash, which killed two people. She could spend 12 years behind bars for each of the two homicide convictions and another two years for the assault conviction.

According to witness testimony during the trial, the woman was speeding in her GMC Envoy as she traveled southbound on Interstate 25. The witness, who was also driving on the interstate near Mead, said that the woman made an obscene gesture at her. She testified that the driver then continued speeding down the road and drifted into another lane. As she overcorrected, she crashed through a median barrier and into oncoming traffic.

That was when she collided with an SUV. That collision caused the SUV to become wedged underneath a semi-truck. The woman also hit a Jeep Wrangler. The drivers of the SUV and the Jeep, who were both in their 30s, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Another driver involved in the multi-vehicle crash suffered moderate injuries.

While reckless drivers who cause injuries and death can and should be prosecuted, victims and surviving family members also have the right to seek compensation for financial losses and pain and suffering in civil court. This is true regardless of the outcome of their prosecution. However, the evidence presented in a criminal case can be used to help bolster a civil case.

Source: KUSA 9 News, “Woman guilty of killing 2 in road rage incident,” Janet Oravetz, Oct. 07, 2016