A 49-year-old Castle Rock woman was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison Friday after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide in the deaths of a mother and son in a 2022 drunk-driving crash on Interstate 25.
Michelle Denise Branch will serve 21 years and six months in the Colorado Department of Corrections after pleading guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide and one count of failing to yield to an emergency vehicle.
Amber Villarreal, 49, and her 18-year-old son, Elijah, were changing a tire on the shoulder of northbound I-25 the night of Oct. 12, 2022 in Douglas County, with a Colorado State Patrol trooper parked behind their vehicle when Branch crashed into them. Both died at the scene.
Branch initially told state troopers she did not realize she was in a crash and later admitted to drinking, according to the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. Her blood alcohol level was .13 when taken at a hospital.
Branch was sentenced to 10 years in prison for each count of vehicular homicide and 18 months for failing to yield to an emergency vehicle. She was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
“This defendant’s actions have permanently torn apart a family,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Corrie Caler said in a statement. “This preventable tragedy took the life of a beloved mother, wife, and grandmother, along with her 18-year-old son who was just beginning his life.”
Updated 1:50 p.m. April 25, 2024: This story was updated to add Amber Villarreal’s age. The information was not available at the initial time of publication.
