A drunk driver who killed a mother and her daughter in an accident has been found guilty on all charges.
According to a press release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, on April 8, 2022, a truck driving in the wrong direction on South Chambers Road near East 6th Avenue in Aurora struck an SUV carrying a mother, father, and their two children as they were returning home from celebrating their daughter’s sixth birthday.
Juan Pablo Pascual-Licea, 32, was traveling over 80 mph at the time of the collision, according to the inquiry.
The man accused of killing a mother and her 6-year-old daughter when he drove the wrong way down South Chambers Road while drunk in 2022 was found guilty on all charges by an Arapahoe County jury last week:
The man accused of killing a mother and her 6-year-old daughter when he drove the wrong way down South Chambers Road while drunk in 2022 was found guilty on all charges by an Arapahoe County jury last week. https://t.co/fodOJ12XOo
— The Denver Post (@denverpost) December 15, 2023
Despite suffering severe injuries, the 10-year-old youngster and his father managed to survive. Both Mira Watson, the young daughter, and Megan Watson, her mother, passed away in the hospital.
Before the collision, according to the police, Pascual-Licea struck a bicyclist and nearly struck a group of youngsters in a crossing.
Pascual-Licea’s blood alcohol concentration was.181, the DA’s office reported, over an hour after the incident. Over twice the legal limit.
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The DA’s office says that after a three-day trial, the judge and jury found the defendant guilty of the following charges:
- Vehicular homicide – DUI (two counts)
- Vehicular assault – DUI (two counts)
- Child abuse – knowingly/recklessly causing serious bodily injury
- Child abuse – knowingly/recklessly causing death
Senior Deputy DA Meghan Gallo stated in a statement:
“In the blink of an eye, a family is torn apart by the selfish actions of someone who chose to drive drunk and endanger multiple lives,” “As a mother, I cannot imagine the heartbreak, grief, and devastation this family has suffered. It was a privilege to prosecute this case and bring justice to this family.”
Senior Deputy DA Doug Bechtel declared:
“There is no excuse or justification for the defendant’s egregious actions that night,” “A father woke up several days later in a hospital bed, only to learn his wife and daughter were dead, and his son would have to learn how to walk again. Their lives are forever changed based on the defendant’s inexcusable behavior to drive drunk.”
The date of sentencing is February 15.
District Attorney John Kellner stated:
“This was a heart-wrenching case and I’m proud of my team’s hard work to find justice for this family,” “This defendant senselessly killed a sweet little girl coming home from her birthday party and her mother. A long prison sentence is warranted to send a message that we won’t tolerate impaired drivers on our roads.”