Victoria Barry charged in wrong-way crash that killed Lilly Duncan, leaving daughter an orphan

Victoria Barry, 26, has been formally charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and DUI in relation to a crash on I-25. Lilly Duncan, a 31-year-old Colorado Springs mom, died in the incident, leaving her daughter Dyrah, twelve, without a living parent. Her father died when she was nine...

By Michael Roberts

May 27, 2011

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Victoria Barry, 26, has been formally charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and DUI in relation to a crash on I-25.

Lilly Duncan, a 31-year-old Colorado Springs mom, died in the incident, leaving her daughter Dyrah, twelve, without a living parent. Her father died when she was nine.

This information comes courtesy of Colorado Springs-based KKTV, which aired a heartrending interview with Dyrah and Lilly's mom, Diana Smith.

Diana spends much of the conversation in tears. As for Dyrah, she seems shell-shocked, which makes perfect sense -- but she offers one comment that shows uncommon maturity under these terrible circumstances. "Even though the girl did a wrong thing, that doesn't make her mean," she says.

The Denver District Attorney's Office certainly sees wrong in Barry's behavior. Its charges against her allege that just shy of midnight on May 14, she was drunk as she drove southbound in the northbound lanes of I-25 near the Downing exit. That's where she hit Duncan's car as well as a second vehicle. Duncan was pronounced dead at the scene.

Barry's next court appearance is scheduled for June 3, when she'll be formally advised of the charges against her. Right now, she's free on a $25,000 bond.

Look below to see the KKTV interview:

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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