Colorado Jury Finds Driver Guilty of Five Counts in the case of Reckless Driving Vehicular Homicide

Verdict date: March 27, 2024

Damages sustained by Plaintiffs: in excess of $75,000

The plaintiffs filed this suit to recover damages for the injuries and deaths of their family members, Emiliano and Christina Godines, resulting from a fatal collision on June 13, 2022, in Weld County, Colorado. Defendant Jesus Puebla, driving a truck owned by Defendant Carlos Coreas and operated under Defendant Caminantes’ authority, lacked a valid commercial driver’s license. On the day of the accident, Puebla drove recklessly, failed to maintain a proper lookout, and crashed into a Ford Edge SUV at 70 MPH, which was traveling at 5-10 MPH.

The crash instantly killed Emiliano and Christina Godines and resulted in the deaths of their son Aaron Godinez, granddaughter Tessleigh, and her mother, Halie Everts. The plaintiffs alleged that Defendant Puebla, acting as an employee of Defendants Caminantes, Carlos Coreas, and Lucky 22, operated the truck without proper licensing, training, or a valid medical certificate, which the defendants knew.

The truck’s braking system was defective and unmaintained, lacking an Antilock Brake System and featuring out-of-adjustment brakes, making it dangerous for road use. Despite knowing these defects and Puebla’s lack of credentials, Defendants allowed him to drive. The plaintiffs argued that a reasonably prudent motor carrier would ensure drivers were properly licensed and medically certified.

Defendants Caminantes and Lucky 22 breached their duty, directly causing the accident. Their negligent actions in sending an unqualified driver on public roads with a dangerous vehicle were reckless. Puebla’s distracted driving and the truck’s defective brakes constituted felonious vehicular homicide, leading to the deaths of five family members. The defendants’ actions were found to be reckless and wanton, resulting in tragic and preventable losses.

As a result of the recklessness, negligence, and intentional breach of duty, the Plaintiffs had lost their parents, Emiliana and Christina Godines, their brother, Aaron Godinez, their future sister-in-law, Halie Everts, and their niece, Tessleigh. As a result, they had sustained mental, emotional, and psychological injuries, damages, and losses, including economic losses and non-economic losses. The reckless killing of their family caused the Plaintiffs, Christian and Abigail Godinez, severe emotional distress, and harm. As a direct and proximate result of Emiliano and Christina Godines’s deaths, the Plaintiffs had suffered damages for grief, loss of companionship, pain and suffering, emotional stress, and other such damages.

The acts and omissions and conduct of the Defendants had been reckless, wilful, wanton, outrageous, and/or intentional. Their conduct was in complete disregard for the lives of the deceased Godinez family members and the rights of the Plaintiffs. It had resulted in severe damages for grief, loss of companionship, pain, and suffering, and emotional stress to the Plaintiffs. The traffic crash resulted in damages well over seventy-five thousand ($75,000) dollars, exclusive of interest and costs. The Plaintiffs had also requested a determination by a jury of the amounts necessary for punitive and all compensatory damages for the felonious vehicular homicide.

On March 27, 2024, the jury gave a verdict in favor of the Plaintiffs. They found Defendant Puebla guilty of five counts of vehicular homicide. Additionally, they found him guilty of careless driving, reckless driving, vehicular assault, a commercial vehicle safety violation, and driving without a CDL. They set the sentencing for June 21, 2024.

Court Documents: Available on request