Drunk Driving

Todd Helton pleads guilty to driving while ability impaired

The mug shot of Colorado Rockies all-star Todd Helton taken after his arrest for DUI in February spoke volumes about the most humiliating moment of his career -- an incident detailed in an arrest report on view below in its entirety. Now, however, with the Rockies' season underway and going better ... More >>

Marijuana: Law enforcers' letter to Hick freaks out over pot bills

We've been following the rapidly evolving marijuana bills intended to enact voter-approved Amendment 64, which allows adults 21 and over in Colorado to use and possess small amounts of cannabis. So, too, have assorted law enforcement groups -- and judging by a letter that several organizations sent ... More >>

Marijuana: Would THC driving bill help people busted for alcohol DUIs beat the rap?

At this writing, HB 13-1114, a bill to set THC driving-impairment standards, is being debated by the House judiciary committee -- and it differs substantially from the version that failed twice before. This time, the THC limit is part of wide-ranging legislation that makes changes in the way driving ... More >>

Britni Bunn Facebooked margarita photos hours before fatal drunk-driving crash

At this writing, Britni Bunn's Facebook page is down -- which makes perfect sense under the circumstances. After all, Bunn has been arrested after allegedly driving drunk while going the wrong way on the Boulder Turnpike and causing a crash that killed one man and seriously injured two others. And ... More >>

Elizabeth Ward, DUI officer, one of two Boulder cops busted for drunk driving in a month

A colleague of the CU-Boulder history professor hospitalized after pranksters fed her a pot brownie stressed the seriousness of the incident by noting the bad things that could have happened if the prof had driven afterward. But this scenario wasn't hypothetical in the case of two Boulder cops recen ... More >>

Drunk cyclists: Under new Denver policy, DUIs for bike riders won't affect driving records

The news that the Denver Police Department will now be enforcing state drunk cycling laws and giving out DUIs to intoxicated riders has sparked a lot of debate. But as word spread earlier this week, DPD officials said it was unclear how DUIs for cyclists would affect their driving licences. Now, ... More >>

Drunk cycling: Is Denver's new bike DUI policy harsher than rules in other states?

Yesterday, we reported that Denver Police are now enforcing state drunk-cycling laws -- meaning intoxicated cyclists can be charged with DUIs just like inebriated drivers. Some cycling advocates question whether this is good public policy -- and a look at parallel laws around the country shows that ... More >>

Photos: 34 Broncos arrests since 2000, third most of any team

In the wake of Elvis Dumervil's Miami bust over the weekend, the Denver Post noted that the Broncos are third in the NFL since 2000 (behind only Minnesota and Cincinnati) in an extremely dubious category: most arrests. The paper's source: an amazing database created by the San Diego Union-Tribune, w ... More >>

Christopher Lites busted for DUI after crashing into car -- on his bike

We don't know with metaphysical certitude that the Christopher Lites who was arrested in Boulder over the weekend on a charge of pedaling his bicycle under the influence is the same Chris Lites whose Facebook profile photo depicts a bizarre version of the Gary Busey family (it's on view below). But ... More >>

Knowshon Moreno busted for DUI in car with license plate reading "SAUCED"

While Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee was getting (almost) naked for a Go Daddy commercial spoof, Knowshon Moreno, the baller he pretty much displaced, saw his year go from bad to worse. Moreno is facing four counts, including driving under the influence, after being pulled over for spee ... More >>

Reader: Jenna Breen's hit-and-run death calls for tougher sentences of repeat DUI offenders

Our coverage of Jenna Breen's tragic death, allegedly caused by a crash with a multiple DUI offender, has generated plenty of heartfelt commentary. Here's the view of a reader who would like to see tougher penalties for drunk-driving recidivists.

Strange but true news stories from the past year

Also read: 2011 Hall of Shame

Med. marijuana laws = 9 percent traffic-death decline, 5 percent beer-sales dip, study finds

The subject of driving under the influence of marijuana has been much debated in these parts. A bill to set a THC driving limit was shelved in May, shortly before an HDNet report demonstrated pot-related driving impairment -- and in August, the Colorado Department of Transportation launched a drugge ... More >>

Joe Sandoval, city council candidate, when stopped for DUI: "Don't you know who I am?"

Former cop and current state investigator Joe Sandoval is still a candidate for city council in Commerce City, according to the city clerk's office. But if he stays in the race, he'll have some uncomfortable questions to answer about being busted for driving under the influence -- and the way a poli ... More >>

Denver cops getting free ride for DUIs, suggests Independent Monitor Richard Rosenthal

Rosenthal.​The new status report from Independent Monitor and Westword profile subject Richard Rosenthal contains a real whopper: He says off-duty Denver officers caught driving drunk in Denver may be scoring get-out-of-jail free cards. Since 2005, ten off-duty Denver officers have been buste ... More >>

Lisa Norton, hit & swim driver in fatal Gabriel Nielsen crash: DUI beefs, pot in truck (VIDEO)

Big pic below.​The case of Lisa Norton, who's accused of trying to swim away from a fatal accident she allegedly caused, keeps getting more bizarre. Authorities now confirm that she was sentenced to probation for DUI last Thursday, just two days before the crash that killed Gabriel Nielsen -- ... More >>

Cynthia Sammon busted for DUI after she can't figure out how to open her car doors

Big pics below.​There are plenty of signs that a person may be driving drunk. But Breckenridge's Cynthia Sammon, 45, may have invented a couple of new ones. Sammon was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after she was unable to successfully roll down her window or open her ca ... More >>

St. Patrick's Day DUI cost according to Denver Police Dept.: $10,000 and maybe much more

​Ah, St. Patrick's Day. A holiday dedicated to drinking. And drinking. And then, once you're done drinking, drinking some more. After which the real drinking begins. So is the Denver Police Department in Full Alert Panic Mode on this fine, green morn? Not exactly. But they are prepared.

Betsy Long sentenced to 15 years in wrong-way drunk-driving crash that killed Mary Warren

9News​Betsy Long, the former green-biz entrepreneur who blew a .252 blood alcohol content following a crash that killed Mary Warren, a young woman bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and more in December. But accepting responsibility didn't result in a small sentenc ... More >>

Betsy Long pleads guilty in wrong-way crash, when her blood-alcohol level was .252

9News​A short time ago, 9News reports, Betsy Long, who was accused of causing a July crash that killed Mary Warren, a young CSU grad bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident and DUI. Regarding the last charge, Long re ... More >>

Marijuana and driving impairment: Rep. Claire Levy on setting a standard in Colorado

Claire Levy.​Over the past year, we've intermittently heard about arrests for allegedly driving under the influence of medical marijuana, with the most sensational being Joshua Wittig's involvement in a crash that took the life of John Paul Hines in October. Against this backdrop, Boulder Repr ... More >>

David Dolan, Colorado State Patrolman busted for .194 blood alcohol content, gets jailtime

David Dolan.​Back in March, TV viewers across the state saw Colorado State Patrolman David Dolan get pulled over by Douglas County officers for alleged drunk driving -- likely the first time a CSP member was busted for DUI on the job. Now, Dolan has reportedly been sentenced to ten days in jai ... More >>

Betsy Long blew a .252 after crash that killed Mary Warren: Drunk driving times three

Betsy Long in a 9News image.​Alleged wrong-way drunk driver Betsy Long, a onetime green-biz entrepreneur, faces vehicular homicide charges and more in a July 5 crash that killed Mary Warren, a 22-year old bound for the Peace Corps. And according to prosecutors, she cleared the legal .08 blood- ... More >>

Lindsay Lohan: If she parties, Littleton's Alcohol Monitoring Systems will know it first

"But it clashes with my outfit!"​Lindsay Lohan's career trajectory has taken her from adorable scamp (in The Parent Trap) to a human train wreck who earlier this week was ordered to wear an alcohol-monitoring anklet to avoid going to jail. As such, she'll be closely tracked by Littleton's Alc ... More >>

David Cox, candidate for Colorado House, tries to explain away a gun-and-alcohol-related arrest

David Cox isn't dropping his candidacy.​For politicians, being arrested is never a good thing -- and the combination of alcohol and firearms doesn't improve the situation. Yet David Cox, one of three Republicans running for Colorado House District 54, has no plans to stop running -- and he's ... More >>

David Dolan likely first-ever Colorado State Patrol trooper caught driving drunk on duty, spokesman says

David Dolan during a more sober moment.​Colorado State Patrol Trooper David Dolan spent 21 years on the job without getting nearly as much attention as he did yesterday, when Douglas County Sheriff's Office personnel pulled him over and arrested him on suspicion of drunk driving. It was certa ... More >>

David Dolan, Colorado State Patrol officer, arrested for investigation of driving drunk in squad car

A 9News image of CSP's David Dolan getting busted.​Usually, Colorado State Patrol officers respond to reports of erratic driving. But this morning, things worked the other way around. Motorists complained about problems relating to a CSP vehicle, leading to a stop by Douglas County Sheriff's O ... More >>

Dad hopes son's tragic story will prevent other drunk-driving deaths

Matthew Nichols' father, Mark, hopes this billboard will discourage other teens from drinking and driving​ In November 2007, Mark Nichols of Highlands Ranch sat down with his teenage son, Matthew, and one of Matthew's friends. He had a pair of dice in his hand. He told them that if he rolled a ... More >>

Cory Gardner is being hypocritical about drunk driving or he isn't -- one or the other

Cory Gardner swears he doesn't like drunk driving!​More evidence that the Democratic Party sees Representative Betsy Markey as among the more vulnerable freshmen in Congress -- an attack on her opponent, Cory Gardner, by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which accuses him of "po ... More >>

Hey, drunk drivers: Get busted here tonight

The "100 Days of Heat" campaign, in which local police agencies step up their efforts to put drunk drivers behind bars before they can kill anyone, is in full force this weekend in at least a couple of local municipalities. Lakewood is announcing a handful of sobriety checkpoints to be put in plac ... More >>

Denver Post drunk-driving report another reason why newspapers matter

An image by photographer Andy Cross from the drunk-driving feature in Sunday's Denver Post. "DUI Arrest Stats Staggering," from Sunday's Denver Post, more than lives up to the assertion in its headline. The package smacks readers in the face from its first sentence: "Each year, roughly 10,000 drunk ... More >>

Happy Shmuckday to you

Smokin' Stats About Colorado DUI Deaths

Cold. Very Cold.

Attack ads heat up the governor's race.

Remembering Sonja

Letters to the Editor

From the week of July 21, 2005

Crash Course

From the darkness, a ray of light that was Sonja DeVries.

Off Limits

This Town's Hot!

The Blame Game

After Melo's pal takes the pot rap, others cop to jocks' past sins.

Through a Glass, Darkly

A special soused report

Letters to the Editor

From the week of September 23, 2004

Letters to the Editor

From the week of September 16, 2004

Collision Course

Colorado's lax drunk-driving laws sentenced Sonja DeVries to death.

Undo Process

A judge orders prosecutor Toya Dawson back to work, but the city wants her gone.

The Siege

The new sheriff vowed to clean up the town of San Luis. For many locals, the price was too high.

A Drunkard's Dream

Attorney Bob Bettenberg finds a probable cause for getting drunk drivers off.

A Lawman on Domestic Violence

Caution: Judge on Board

You never know who Denver attorney Brent Martin's going to run into next.

Fill'er Up

In Trinidad, you don't have to drink in bars in wind up behind bars

A DRIVING ISSUE

A WAITRESS IS CLEARED OF A DUI CHARGE BUT STILL LOSES HER LICENSE.