Crash kills 2 teen girls after prom
The Denver Post
Sunday, April 23, 1995
Author: Christopher Lopez Denver Post Staff Writer
BRIGHTON - Prom night ended not in celebration but in tragedy for Brighton High School, which saw two of its students killed and two others injured in a grinding car crash yesterday.
The state patrol said evidence of alcohol was found in the wreckage of the 1995 Lexus the four students were riding in.
Killed were Becky Hardin and Erin Maksymkow , both 18-year-old seniors. They died at the crash site on 88th Avenue, approximately 1 mile west of Interstate 76.
Hardin and Maksymkow became the 10th and 11th Denver-area teenagers killed in alcohol-related car accidents in the past month, the patrol said.
Hardin had gone to the prom with Jeff Teater, her sweetheart since seventh grade. He came through the wreck with minor injuries.
Maksymkow 's date, David Spears, the 17-year-old driver of the car, suffered severe spleen, shoulder and head injuries. He was in serious but stable condition last night at St. Anthony Hospital Central. Though authorities believe the students were drinking, a formal blood-alcohol test on the driver may take as long as a week to complete.
The deaths were the talk of Brighton, a city of one high school and 14,200 people.
"They were very good kids, very well-liked," said Brighton High Principal Jim Reitz.
"It's tough when you have to experience this in school."
Hardin and Teater, together for so much of their young lives, were to enroll in the University of Colorado for the fall, Teater's parents said.
"She was a real wonderful girl," said Bill Teater, Jeff's dad. "She was just like a daughter to us. It is all just a horrible tragedy."
State Patrol Sgt. Anthony Padilla said Spears was driving at a high rate of speed on 88th Avenue when the Lexus veered off the right side of the road.
The car smashed into a telephone pole and rolled 1 1/2 times, throwing Hardin and Maksymkow from the backseat.
The Brighton crash comes exactly two weeks after six Heritage High School students died while trying to outrace a train after they had left a beer party.
Three Horizon High students died in another alcohol-related crash in March.
"It continues to happen in spite of the efforts of schools and families, and it's got to stop," said Jean Capillupo, Brighton schools superintendent.
The two couples had rented the Lexus for the prom, held Friday night at the Denver Athletic Club. The dance lasted until midnight.
Brighton High administrators, hoping to keep students away from drinking parties, hosted a later event at the high school. The four were on their way to that festivity when the crash occurred.
"This is the time of year when high school graduations and proms are starting, and we've had two really serious fatal accidents in the last three weekends already," said Padilla.
"I'm just hoping that the kids are paying attention to the news and they avoid drinking and driving. This is the end result."
Reitz, the Brighton principal, said the school had held a meeting with all the seniors earlier this month to talk about the importance of avoiding alcohol, particularly while driving.
His message was simple: seniors needed to look out for each other so they could all be around to enjoy their high school graduation.
"It's devastating to our students," Reitz said of the crash.
BRIGHTON GIRLS KILLED IN PROM-NIGHT CRASH 2 STUDENTS WHO 'HAD A LOT GOING FOR THEM' DIE, 2 OTHERS INJURED
Rocky Mountain News
Sunday, April 23, 1995
Author: LYNN BARTELS ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS STAFF WRITER
Two skid marks, a wilted corsage and a lot of tears mark the spot where two Brighton High School teens died on prom night.
A heartbroken town mourned the deaths Saturday of Becky Hardin and Erin Maksymkow , both 18, and prayed for their injured dates, Jeff Teater, 18, and David Spears, 17.
"These were kids who had a lot going for them," art teacher Lynette Helland said, as she dabbed her eyes.
The Colorado State Patrol reported that the young people were speeding about 12:30 a.m. and lost control of their car on East 88th Avenue near Holly Street, just off Interstate 76.
Troopers found beer in their car, but Teater's father said authorities told him they detected only a trace of alcohol when they tested his son.
The blood-alcohol level of the driver, Spears, has not been released.
All are Brighton residents and high school seniors.
"It's going to be awful when we go back to school Monday," said senior Anna Rodriguez, 17. "They had so many friends."
It was the second fatal accident this month involving metro-area students. Six Littleton high school students died April 6 when they tried to beat a train at a railroad crossing in Douglas County. The driver was drunk.
"We have a lot of proms and graduations to go, and I just hope that kids are aware of what has happened in the last 3 1/2 weeks and drive responsibly," said Sgt. Anthony Padilla of the State Patrol.
Brighton's prom was Friday at the Denver Athletic Club. The theme was Night of the Orient. The first witnesses at the crash wondered about the pieces of wooden dragons that lay near Hardin's and Maksymkow 's bodies. The dragons were table decorations and souvenirs.
After the prom, Spears got behind the wheel of the rented 1995 Lexus. The girls got into the back seat. No one buckled up.
The four were going to the school-sponsored, alcohol-free post-prom party at the high school, Teater's father, Bill Teater, said. But first, they wanted to see a friend and show off their prom dresses and tuxedos.
The friend lived off 88th Avenue, a winding stretch of road where neighbors have seen numerous crashes.
Nick and Mary Teti were watching television when they heard a loud crash and their lights went out. The Lexus had sheared off a utility pole and rolled 1 1/2 times. Only Teater wasn't thrown.
"They're always saying they need to do something about this road, but it never gets done," Nick Teti said. "It's such a tragedy."
Spears was in serious condition at St. Anthony Hospital Central with a broken jaw, broken shoulder and an injured spleen.
"His dad told him about the girls right away," said Roy Renslo, a family friend who went to the hospital and then stopped at the crash site. "His parents are beside themselves."
Teater, who was treated and released, spent Saturday with Hardin's family. He and Becky Hardin had gone together since seventh grade and were going to the University of Colorado in the fall, Bill Teater said.
"Becky was a wonderful girl and just like a daughter to us," he said.
At the crash site, Vanessa Mora, 17, planted violets Saturday and shivered under the gray sky. She held a corsage she found near a blood-stained rock.
"We just wanted to stop and pray," said Mora's mother, Terri Simmons. ''Those boys are going to live with this the rest of their lives. It's so unfortunate."
Grief echoes in hallways Friends' deaths stun students
The Denver Post
Tuesday, April 25, 1995
Author: Stacey Baca Denver Post Staff Writer
BRIGHTON - The school bell rang as scheduled, but class work was not on the minds of hundreds of students and teachers yesterday at Brighton High School.
The pupils pushed aside their school books. Life has dealt them a more painful lesson.
It happened Friday - prom night.
Becky Hardin and Erin Maksymkow glowed that evening in their fire-engine red dresses. Their dates, Jeff Teater and David Spears, sported snazzy tuxedos.
They danced, chatted, posed for the cameras.
"They were having such a great time. You would have never thought it would have happened," said Cory McCrea, an 18-year-old senior. "Now, there is a feeling of sadness. They were friends with a lot of people. A lot of people knew them."
The fun faded too fast.
The memories that blossomed at prom suddenly wilted at the turn of a steering wheel on 88th Avenue near Interstate 76. A faint pair of skid marks now lead to a telephone pole.
Spears was driving the car. He may have sped around a bend in the road at 90 mph before losing control, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
At 12:33 a.m., the rented 1995 Lexus came to a crashing halt, slamming into a pole that has since been replaced.
The state patrol reported that alcohol may have played a part in the crash. An empty 12-pack of Miller's Genuine Draft and bottles of Heineken's were found in the car, said Sgt. Anthony Padilla of the state patrol. Authorities are still waiting for the official word on the alcohol tests.
In the end, Erin and Becky were tossed from the sedan. Their lives ended at 18.
Spears suffered severe spleen, shoulder and head injuries. He was listed in serious but stable condition yesterday.
Teater sustained a few cuts. His father said the boy was lucky to escape serious injury. His tuxedo was soaked with gasoline, and electrical wires from the downed telephone pole criss-crossed the scene.
The loss has stunned students. Youngsters shuffled through the hallways yesterday.
Their voices raised only to quiet conversations. There were no down-the-hall screams or obnoxious greetings to one another, all typical on any ordinary school day.
Yesterday was different - and difficult.
"Everyone is quiet. They are all talking about the accident and remembering the girls," said Claudia Martinez, a 16-year-old sophomore. "It's going to be hard."
As one student noted, "Classes turned into support groups."
Support is what many kids tried to offer each other.
"I'm telling everyone to just hang in there. If you have to talk about it, then talk," said Brandi Anderson, a 16-year-old sophomore and peer counselor. "People need to talk about it and not give up. ... We're here to listen and do anything we can."
Nearly 30 students, like Brandi, are part of Believe It Or Not I Care - or BIONICS . The trained peer counselors strolled throughout the school, offering an ear - and sometimes a shoulder - to fellow classmates who needed to talk.
"A lot of the kids don't know what to feel. They don't know how to handle it," said Kandy Candelarie, a 15-year-old sophomore.
For some students, tears were the only way. Several kids sobbed. Rather than handshakes, classmates greeted each other with open arms. Hugs seemed to help.
Students also flocked to the crash site less than 10 miles away. They said goodbye to Erin and Becky, leaving photos and flowers behind.
A girl wailed. Classmates stood nearby. All gazed at the murky, roadside ditch where their young friends lost their lives.
Roses, carnations and marigolds were placed at the base of the new telephone pole. A poem was taped to the wood.
"But should your angels call for (them),
Much sooner than we planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes,
And try to understand."
- Staff Writer Marilyn Robinson contributed to this story.
TEEN-AGER IN FATAL PROM NIGHT AUTO CRASH TO BE CHARGED BRIGHTON STUDENT FACES VEHICULAR HOMICIDE COUNT IN ACCIDENT THAT KILLED TWO OF HIS SCHOOLMATES
Rocky Mountain News
Wednesday, May 3, 1995
Author: LYNN BARTELS ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS STAFF WRITER
A Brighton High School student who was behind the wheel in a fatal prom night crash had been drinking and will be charged with vehicular homicide, officials say.
David Spears, 17, had an official blood alcohol concentration of 0.085, which means he was driving while impaired, officials say. That level was from a sample taken several hours after the April 22 crash that claimed two lives.
An immediate test, routinely performed by hospital personnel when treating emergency room patients, showed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.125, officials said. That test cannot be used in court.
National traffic studies show that a driver with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.10 is 20 times as likely to be in a crash as a sober driver.
The level of intoxication in Colorado is 0.10.
Killed were Spears' date, Erin Maksymkow , 18, and Becky Hardin, 18. Hardin's date and longtime sweetheart, Jeff Teater, 18, received minor injuries. All are of Brighton. They were not impaired or drunk.
Spears' family declined comment, but John Jones, assistant principal at Brighton High School, said he has talked with Spears.
"He feels real sad about it," Jones said Tuesday. "It was one of those bad dreams that you wish wasn't there, but you have to deal with it."
He said students still are having a tough time dealing with the crash.
Spears, who turns 18 Monday, will be charged as a juvenile with vehicular homicide, announced Bruce Levin, chief deputy district attorney in Adams County.
The maximum penalty Spears faces is six months in the county jail or one year in community corrections or two years in a juvenile jail, he said.
The State Patrol reported Spears was going about 80 mph when he lost control of a rented 1995 Lexus. He crashed into a utility pole at East 88th Avenue near Holly Street, just off Interstate 76.
The high school seniors were in their prom outfits. Troopers found beer in the car.
Parents sue liquor store in teen's death
The Denver Post
Tuesday, July 18, 1995
Author: George Lane Denver Post Staff Writer
BRIGHTON - The parents of a Brighton High School senior killed in a prom-night car crash are suing a Denver liquor store, a teenage driver and the youth's father.
The suit, filed last week in Adams County District Court by Gary and Patricia Ann Hardin, names 18-year-old David Wade Spears and his father, Aaron F. Spears. Also being sued are Argonaut Liquors and Craig Martin Richter, a minor who allegedly bought beer illegally from the store at 700 E. Colfax Ave.
The Hardins claim David Spears drank Miller Genuine Draft and/or Heineken beer, then crashed a rented Lexus. Their daughter Rebecca and another girl were killed in the wreck.
The suit asks that the liquor store and other defendants be ordered to pay damages in an amount to be set by the trial court.
David Spears was 17 years old on April 22, when he was driving the 1995 Lexus his father had rented for the prom. Rebecca Hardin and Erin Maksymkow , both 18 and Brighton High School seniors, were killed in the crash.
Spears, Maksymkow 's date, sustained serious injuries but survived. Jeff Teater, Hardin's date, also was in the car. He escaped with minor injuries.
The two couples had danced until midnight at the prom, staged at the Denver Athletic Club. Brighton High administrators had hoped to keep students away from alcohol by hosting an after-prom party at the school.
The teenagers were on their way to the after-party in the rented luxury car about 12:30 a.m. The Lexus, with Spears behind the wheel, was traveling at 90 mph when it slammed into a utility pole on East 88th Avenue near Fish Hatchery Road.
Colorado State Patrol investigators found an empty 12-pack of Miller Genuine Draft and bottles of Heineken in the wreckage.
Blood-alcohol tests showed that Maksymkow had no alcohol in her system when she died. Hardin had a blood-alcohol level of .029 per cent, "which is way down on the scale and not drunk by any means," said Adams County Coroner Jack Dewey.
Spears has been charged as a juvenile with multiple counts of vehicular homicide. Because he is charged as a juvenile, his blood-alcohol level hasn't been made public.
However, the lawsuit alleges that Spears was under the influence of alcohol when the crash occurred. Under Colorado law a person is presumed to be intoxicated if he or she has a blood-alcohol level of .10 or more.
The lawsuit also claims that Richter purchased alcoholic beverages from Argonaut prior to the crash.
"Defendant Richter provided at least some of the alcohol beverages he had purchased from Argonaut to Defendant David Wade Spears," the lawsuit charges.
The only identification of Richter contained in the suit is that he was "under 21 years of age."
The suit claims Argonaut willfully and knowingly sold alcohol to Richter.
Argonaut spokesman Hank Robinson said he recently had seen a copy of the lawsuit, but had no comment.
Efforts to contact the other defendants were unsuccessful. Gene Ciancio, the attorney who filed the action and the attorney for the Hardins, also couldn't be reached yesterday.
Driver was drunk, say witnesses Speed put at 80-93 mph in prom night fatalities
The Denver Post
Saturday, August 26, 1995
Author: George Lane Denver Post Staff Writer
BRIGHTON - A high school senior who crashed a rented Lexus, killing his prom date and another girl, was legally drunk and speeding at 80 to 93 mph at the time, witnesses said yesterday.
David Wade Spears, 17 at the time, had a blood-alcohol level of 0.11 percent when the luxury car his father had rented skidded out of control on East 88th Avenue near Fish Hatchery Road. Under Colorado law, a motorist with a blood-alcohol level of 0.10 percent or more is considered drunk.
Details of the April 22 crash were presented at a hearing before Adams County Juvenile Court Judge John Popovich to determine if there is enough evidence to force Spears to stand trial on four counts of vehicular homicide.
Car was speeding
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Doyle Eicher testified on the estimated rate of speed of the car and told the court that, three-tenths of a mile from where the Lexus went out of control, there was a sign stating the speed limit was 35 mph.
Defense attorney Bob Ransome agreed that Spears had a blood-alcohol level in the DUI range and that there is probable cause for his client to be bound over on the charges.
However, the defense attorney likely won't be as accommodating during the second phase of the hearing, scheduled for Nov. 2, to determine if Spears, now 18, will go on trial as an adult rather than as a juvenile.
Erin Maksymkow and Rebecca Hardin, both 18-year-old Brighton High School seniors, were killed, and Jeff Teater, a senior, was injured.
After yesterday's hearing, prosecutor Cynthia Kowert explained that although two people were killed, Spears is charged with four counts of vehicular homicide - two counts of vehicular homicide because of driving under the influence and two counts for reckless driving.
Beer purchase arranged
Also testifying was Frank Spottke, chief investigator for the
Adams County district attorney's office, who said Teater told him
that, before the prom, Spears made arrangements for another youth to purchase alcohol.
The purchase allegedly included two 12-packs of beer, six "fat tires," two large bottles of an imported beer, a large bottle of ale and a small bottle of whiskey.
Teater told the investigator that all four of the teenagers in the car drank some of the liquor but that the girls drank very little.
If the judge decides to transfer the case to adult court, Spears could face a lengthy prison sentence.
Hardin's parents also have filed a wrongful-death civil suit against Spears, his father and Argonaut Liquors. The east Denver liquor store is reportedly where a fake identification card was used to purchase the alcohol. The civil suit names Craig Martin Richter as the minor who allegedly purchased the alcohol
Prom driver had problem with alcohol?
The Denver Post
Friday, November 3, 1995
Author: George Lane Denver Post Staff Writer
BRIGHTON - The young man charged in a drunken prom-night crash that killed two young women last spring is no stranger to the tragic confluence of alcohol and automobiles.
David Spears' older sister died 13 years ago after drinking alcohol, then crashing her car on the way home in Oklahoma. She was 18.
That sad piece of family history apparently has not prevented Spears from developing a drinking problem, experts testified at a court hearing yesterday.
He is charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence of alcohol in the April 22 deaths of his date, Erin Maksymkow , and his friend Jeff Teater's date, Becky Hardin. Spears, 18, suffered head, shoulder and spleen injuries; Teater, 18, suffered minor injuries. The two young men were seated up front; the 18-year-old women in the back.
Spears was driving a 1995 Lexus his father rented for the occasion when it crashed into a telephone pole on 88th Avenue near Fish Hatchery Road. The car was traveling at between 80 and 93 miles per hour in a 35 mile-per-hour zone at the time of the collision, police say.
When tested after the crash, Spears had a blood-alcohol level of .11 percent - above the .10 level considered by Colorado law to be under the influence.
Spears had arranged for someone else to illegally purchase alcohol for himself and his prom companions.
He has said he drinks while snow skiing and water skiing and while riding four-wheeled, off-road bikes - and sees no risk in that, psychologist Spencer Friedman testified yesterday. An expert in the treatment of juveniles, Friedman appeared for the defense - which wanted Spears to be handled as a juvenile by the court.
"David has minimized the influence alcohol has in his life," Friedman said.
"He does not feel that his behavior was influenced by alcohol on the night of the incident."
Ken Schlessinger, a supervisor for the Adams County Department of Probation, testified that Spears told him he drinks primarily on weekends and at parties, but feels very little effect until he consumes eight or nine beers.
At yesterday's hearing, Teater testified there was nothing to indicate that Spears should not be driving that night.
He also said that Hardin had been his girlfriend since they were in seventh grade. Spears took Maksymkow to the prom because her 22-year-old boyfriend didn't want to go, Teater said.
"She was a nicest person I ever met," Teater said of Hardin. "She was like an angel."
Patricia Hardin, Becky's mother, was the first witness at yesterday's hearing, designed to determine whether Spears will be treated as an adult.
In a shaky, emotional voice, she said of her daughter, "She was so happy. She had such a quick wit about her. I just can't stand it, knowing I'll never see my baby again."
She and Becky's father, Gary Hardin, said they feel that Spears should be held accountable, but both declined to say whether he should be in juvenile or adult court.
"I am so emotional I don't think I can think with a rational mind on this," Patricia Hardin said in response to a question from prosecutor Cynthia Kowert.
The mother also said that the day after the crash, Spears' parents visited her and related that they, too, lost a daughter in an alcohol-related incident some years ago.
At the conclusion of yesterday's hearing, Adams County District Judge Harlan Bockman ruled that even though Spears was 17 at the time of the crash, he will be treated as an adult by the court system.
Spears will enter a plea on vehicular homicide and related charges Nov. 13.
SUBURBAN DIGEST
The Denver Post
Tuesday, November 14, 1995
Brighton
Teen pleads in 2 deaths
David Wade Spears, an 18-year-old Foothills Community College student, pleaded not guilty yesterday to vehicular homicide in the deaths of two Brighton High School seniors on prom night earlier this year.
Spears, who then was a 17-year-old Brighton High School senior, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and speeding April 22 when he crashed a rented luxury car, killing ErinMaksymkow and Becky Hardin, 18-year-olds who were riding in the back seat.
Adams County District Judge Harlan Bockman earlier ruled that Spears will face trial as an adult. Yesterday, Bockman set the trial date for March 18.
David Wade Spears, an 18-year-old Foothills Community College student, pleaded not guilty yesterday to vehicular homicide in the deaths of two Brighton High School seniors on prom night earlier this year.
Spears, who then was a 17-year-old Brighton High School senior, was allegedly under the influence of alcohol and speeding April 22 when he crashed a rented luxury car, killing ErinMaksymkow and Becky Hardin, 18-year-olds who were riding in the back seat.
Adams County District Judge Harlan Bockman earlier ruled that Spears will face trial as an adult. Yesterday, Bockman set the trial date for March 18.
DON'T BUY,' STUDENTS TELL ADULTS HIGH SCHOOL CAMPAIGN TO END DRUNKEN DRIVING SEEKS TO STOP ADULTS FROM GIVING ALCOHOL TO MINORS
Rocky Mountain News
Saturday, February 24, 1996
`
Author: Associated Press
Members of a high school club who spearheaded a five-year campaign aimed at warning teens of the dangers of drinking and driving say the prom-night deaths of two girls last April show the campaign has failed.
They now have shifted their efforts to target adults.
The campaign is led by a school business club, Distributive Education Clubs of America, designed to teach marketing and advertising skills.
Suzanne Scott, a DECA vice president, said the message didn't get to the students and the club now is aiming at the adults who give, buy or sell alcohol to underage drinkers.
Brighton High School seniors Becky Hardin and Erin Maksymkow were killed when a rented Lexus driven by David Wayne Spears crashed. Empty beer containers were found in the car.
Spears is charged with vehicular homicide and is scheduled to go on trial March 18.
The DECA students have targeted stop signs around the high school and town liquor stores for their new campaign. Under the word ``Stop,'' they're posting stickers that add the phrase: ``Under-age Drinking at the SOURCE. Don't Buy, They'll Die.''
Club members also are asking residents and business owners who sell alcohol to sign pledges vowing they won't give or sell to anyone under 21.
Pat Tabor of Rice Mortuary and Crematory contributed $2,000 to pay for a 30-second, anti-drunken-driving commercial made by DECA. Tabor got the call after the wreck that killed the two girls.
``I have dealt with this project for a number of years, but I just wanted to put more emphasis on it this year than I ever have before,'' Tabor said. ``I want to make a difference in these kids' lives. I don't want to have to deal with a situation like I dealt with last year.''
Family and friends of one of the girls killed in last April's wreck opposed DECA's campaign because they felt it came too soon and emotions are still too raw, the DECA members said.
``We've been saying since we started this (campaign) that it's not too soon,'' DECA officer Lisa Ullrich said. ``It's already too late.''
Author: Associated Press
Members of a high school club who spearheaded a five-year campaign aimed at warning teens of the dangers of drinking and driving say the prom-night deaths of two girls last April show the campaign has failed.
They now have shifted their efforts to target adults.
The campaign is led by a school business club, Distributive Education Clubs of America, designed to teach marketing and advertising skills.
Suzanne Scott, a DECA vice president, said the message didn't get to the students and the club now is aiming at the adults who give, buy or sell alcohol to underage drinkers.
Brighton High School seniors Becky Hardin and Erin Maksymkow were killed when a rented Lexus driven by David Wayne Spears crashed. Empty beer containers were found in the car.
Spears is charged with vehicular homicide and is scheduled to go on trial March 18.
The DECA students have targeted stop signs around the high school and town liquor stores for their new campaign. Under the word ``Stop,'' they're posting stickers that add the phrase: ``Under-age Drinking at the SOURCE. Don't Buy, They'll Die.''
Club members also are asking residents and business owners who sell alcohol to sign pledges vowing they won't give or sell to anyone under 21.
Pat Tabor of Rice Mortuary and Crematory contributed $2,000 to pay for a 30-second, anti-drunken-driving commercial made by DECA. Tabor got the call after the wreck that killed the two girls.
``I have dealt with this project for a number of years, but I just wanted to put more emphasis on it this year than I ever have before,'' Tabor said. ``I want to make a difference in these kids' lives. I don't want to have to deal with a situation like I dealt with last year.''
Family and friends of one of the girls killed in last April's wreck opposed DECA's campaign because they felt it came too soon and emotions are still too raw, the DECA members said.
``We've been saying since we started this (campaign) that it's not too soon,'' DECA officer Lisa Ullrich said. ``It's already too late.''
MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO VEHICULAR HOMICIDE
Rocky Mountain News
Tuesday, March 19, 1996
Author: Mike Patty Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
An 18-year-old Brighton man pleaded guilty Monday to one count of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence in connection with the prom-night automobile crash last spring that killed two classmates.
David Spears will be sentenced on May 21 in Adams County District Court. He could face 4 to 16 years in prison, and a maximum of 32 years if the court finds aggravating circumstances, said Adams County District Attorney Bob Grant. Although Spears was 17 years old at the time of the crash, he was charged and will be sentenced as an adult.
Grant said the other charges will be dropped at sentencing as part of a plea bargain.
The accident happened April 22 after Spears, Rebecca Hardin, Erin Maksymkow , and James Teater had gone to the Brighton High School senior prom at the Denver Athletic Club. The four were driving to an after-prom party in Brighton.
Spears was at the wheel of a rented 1995 Lexus when the car, going an estimated 90 mph, slammed into a telephone pole on East 88th Avenue. Hardin and Maksymkow were killed.
Investigators found empty beer bottles in the wreckage.
TEEN DUCKS PRISON IN CRASH DRIVER IN PROM-NIGHT WRECK THAT KILLED 2 GETS 6 YEARS IN COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
Rocky Mountain News
Wednesday, July 17, 1996
Author: Mike Patty Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
A Brighton teen-ager was sentenced Tuesday to six years of community corrections and 160 hours of community service for his part in a prom-night automobile crash last year that killed two of his classmates.
Adams County District Judge Harlan Bockman could have sentenced David W. Spears to a maximum 32 years in the penitentiary if he had found aggravating circumstances. Instead, he allowed Spears, who had pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, to serve his time in a manner that would allow him to work or go to school during daytime hours.
``I have no doubt that this has been a tragedy to Mr. Spears and his family as well,'' Bockman said. ``In a case like this, there is no way the system can satisfy everyone.''
Spears was driving a 1995 Lexus rented by his father on the night of April 22, 1995, with Brighton High School classmates Rebecca Hardin, Erin Maksymkow and James Teater as passengers. They had attended their senior prom at the Denver Athletic Club and were driving to a party in Brighton when the car, going an estimated 90 mph, slammed into a telephone pole on East 88th Avenue.
Hardin and Maksymkow were killed. Spears and Teater survived. Investigators found empty beer bottles in the wreckage.
Despite being 17 at the time of the accident, Spears was charged as an adult.
``What I did, I have no excuse for,'' Spears told the court before sentencing. ``It was stupid and immature. I want to say how extremely sorry I am.''
Spears' attorney, Robert L. Ransome, told Bockman his client had been ``more tragically affected by this loss than anyone knows.'' Ransome said Spears is undergoing therapy and is taking college classes, studying radiology.
Ransome thanked the Adams County district attorney's office for not asking for a penitentiary sentence.
Members of Hardin's family were given a chance to speak before sentencing.
Gary Hardin, Rebecca's father, said Spears must be made to accept responsibility for his actions and suggested that appropriate punishment be restitution, community corrections and community service that might include working in an emergency room or rehabilitation center.
Patricia Hardin said the ``message must go out'' so accidents that are ``so preventable'' like the one that took her daughter don't happen again.
Bockman said he would review the matter of restitution in six months pending the outcome of a lawsuit by the Hardins against Spears' father and the liquor store that allegedly sold the beer Spears drank on the night of the accident.