Todd Helton, celebrated Colorado Rockies first-basemen, is the latest arrestee for a Weld County DUI. After reports to the police that a pick-up truck was driving erratically in Thornton near Weld County, police officers were sent to investigate. They found Helton outside of a convenience store and arrested him for Driving Under the Influence (DUI CRS 41-4-1301) and Careless Driving (CRS 42-4-1402). Helton has apologized and promised to seek help.
This serves as another reminder to residents in Greeley, Evans, and Erie not to drink and drive. Helton is a very public figure all over Colorado, and risked his job, career, and family when he chose to drink and drive. He made a mistake, just like many others in Colorado. He is very lucky. A DUI or DWAI arrest could also include charges of careless or reckless driving, or even vehicular homicide. If the car you are driving hits someone, you could be charged with Vehicular Assault (CRS 18-3-205). If that person dies, you are liable to be charged with vehicular homicide (CRS 18-3-106). All of these charges are unnecessary blemishes to your career, driving record, and finances. A DUI has high costs that people don’t often consider when they decide to drive after having a few drinks
To avoid a possible DUI or Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI), never drive after any alcohol consumption. Most people do not know that it takes a ridiculously small amount of alcohol in Colorado to put you over the legal limit. Don’t give the police any reason to suspect that you may have been drinking. Cops are very strict when dealing with people they believe may have been drinking and driving. They will not listen if you tell them you believed you were sober enough to drive, they will strictly go by the numbers of your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC). And those numbers can pass the legal limit after only two or three beers.
If police arrest you for a DUI or DWAI, vehicular assault or homicide, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the experienced criminal defense attorneys at the O’Malley Law office at 970-616-6009. Together, we can protect your future.