A 49 year old The man was convicted of vehicular homicide in Adams County District Court Thursday for a 2020 drunk driving crash that left two people dead, including a Commerce City Police Department detective.
Fructuoso Rosales-Cano was found guilty of two counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence and two counts of driving under the influence with two or more prior convictions, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Rosales-Cano was speeding in his Ford F-350 and passing slower cars on Colorado 2 near Turnberry Parkway on Oct. 16, 2020, when he overcorrected and swerved into oncoming traffic.
He crashed into the driver’s side door of a passing Ford Explorer Detective Curt Holland37, who was on duty. The truck then spun and overturned, crushing a Kia Soul driven by a 31-year-old Francesca Dominguez.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, Holland and Dominguez died instantly. Rosales-Cano suffered life-threatening injuries.
Detectives found empty beer cans and small liquor bottles in Rosales-Cano’s truck and his blood alcohol level was 0.294, more than three times the legal limit. He had previous DUI convictions in 1997 and 2006.
“The damage caused by this defendant is truly unfathomable,” District Attorney Brian Mason said in a statement. “One man’s indefensible decision to drink and drive has left two innocent victims dead and destroyed countless lives.”
The jury deliberated for about an hour before returning the guilty verdict. Commerce City Police Department officials said in a message on Facebook.
“While this verdict cannot undo the past and bring back two individuals taken from this world too soon, I hope it gives their loved ones and friends the closure that has been so evasive over the past four years,” said Police Chief Darrel Guadnola. said in a statement.
Rosales-Cano will be sentenced on January 9.
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