DENVER — A new Colorado bill that has been introduced in the State Senate aims to increase punishments for those who drive carelessly in the state.
Currently, under state law, careless driving resulting in death is a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail. Senate Bill 25-281 would increase the charge to a Class 6 felony and strengthen requirements for chemical testing of drivers on the scene of these crashes.
If the charge is increased to a felony, it would be punishable by a fine of $1,000 to $100,000, 12 to 18 months in jail, and a year of mandatory parole.
A group of families who have lost loved ones to careless drivers joined state legislators, law enforcement officers and advocates on Wednesday to support the bill.
Victoria Ciegelski, who lost her 13-year-old son Alex Mackiewicz in March 2024, has been fighting for stricter penalties for careless drivers since his death.
"That's the only thing we can fight for right now, justice for other families," she said. "There are people who say, 'Well, accidents happen.' I can assure you their opinion about the matter will quickly change when they come and see their child in a casket, put [there] by a careless driver who just didn't care enough to pay attention."
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The bill was discussed in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, where public testimony was heard.
Tristan Gorman, policy director for the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, said they are against this bill.
"From the perspective of criminal law and the state trying to deter conduct, you simply cannot deter accidental conduct with an increased criminal penalty," Gorman said. "And from the defense perspective, if they're charged with a felony and there's no misdemeanor for the DA to offer for a plea bargain, then a lot more of these cases are going to go to trial. That puts victims and victims' family members through the trial process in the criminal legal system and re-traumatizes them unnecessarily."
But Cegielski and other families who have been impacted by careless drivers said they will keep fighting until drivers are held more accountable for their actions.
"This is the beginning. This is the furthest we went so far. But it is a beginning, and it makes me motivated that there are ears willing to listen, and they are people who is willing to support. Let's see what's going to happen because we're not going to stop," she said.
There was no vote on the bill on Wednesday. Lawmakers said it will be discussed again on Monday.
The bill must be approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee before it can head to the Senate and House.
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