Acting recklessly and causing the death of another person is charged as Manslaughter in Greeley and Weld County. A mother is facing this charge after her 1-year-old son was killed while she was trying to get him to safety during Hurricane Florence. Yes, you actually read that correctly. I know, hard to believe, right? According to the report, the mom had put her child in the car to try and flee the rising flood waters. She ended up trying to drive over a closed bridge after she witnessed other cars pass, but her car became submerged. She tried to get the baby out of the car, but he was swept away by the flood waters and his body was found the next day. Investigators proceeded with charging the mother for the child’s death. There must be some other facts that have not been released to the public, because this doesn’t seem like Manslaughter to me.
Weld County Manslaughter Attorney: Definition of Manslaughter in Morgan and Logan County
The Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Colorado law definition of Manslaughter – C.R.S. 18-3-104 – is:
(a) Such person recklessly causes the death of another person; or
(b) Such person intentionally causes or aids another person to commit suicide.
According to the law, “a person acts ‘recklessly’ when he [she] consciously disregards a substantial and unjustifiable risk that a result will occur or that a circumstance exists.” My guess is that when she disregarded that the bridge was closed (likely due to the flooding) they equated that to disregarding a substantial risk.
Sentence for Manslaughter in Greeley, Erie, and Evans
In Greeley, Erie, and Evans, Manslaughter is a class 4 felony, punishable by 2 to 6 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $500,000 in fines. I’m sure for this mother though, there is no punishment that can come close to the pain that she feels from losing a child. I’m sure she blames herself everyday – is it really necessary that the law get involved?