Trucker who killed Wyoming family of 5 in 2022 crash sentenced to 11 years in prison
DENVER (KDVR) — A truck driver who slammed into an SUV carrying a Wyoming family on Interstate 25 was sentenced Friday to serve 11 years in the Department of Corrections with a mandatory three-year parole period.
Jesus Puebla, 27, was found guilty of five counts of vehicular homicide, along with counts of vehicular assault, careless driving, reckless driving, commercial vehicle safety violation and driving without a commercial license, by a jury in March. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on June 20, 2023 — a little more than a year after the deadly crash.
Relatives remember father who died in crash on the way to his son’s birth
On Friday, nearly two years to the day since the deadly crash, Puebla was sentenced for the deaths. He was given two years per victim’s death, plus another year for vehicular assault.
The victims were identified as Emiliano and Christina Godines, ages 51 and 47, along with their 3-month-old grandchild, Tessleigh, and her 20-year-old parents, Aaron Godines and Halie Everts. The family had reportedly celebrated a birthday in Denver and were on their way back to Wyoming.
“There’s a lot of grief and a lot of love in the courtroom today,” said Judge Allison Esser during sentencing. “There are no winners or losers in this case. There has been a lot of loss. I see really tight-knit families on both sides.”
Esser noted in her sentencing speech that she, and the jury, did not believe the crash was an accident, but said Puebla demonstrated remorse by staying on scene. Esser said during the trial, evidence and testimony showed that traffic was not coming to a sudden stop. She also noted that Puebla has five prior traffic offenses, including reckless driving.
“This was reckless driving in a 20,000-pound truck,” Esser said. “You had a responsibility to our community. Anyone who is driving trucks that size has an extra and added responsibility to the community because those trucks pose an added danger — they are more dangerous on the road. This was never going to be a fender bender: This was always going to have serious and significant concerns.”
Esser noted the toll the crash took on first responders and visitors, noting that it wasn’t until later on that the first responders realized Tessleigh was in the car.
“These were young, vibrant people,” Esser said. “They were part of an extremely tight-knit family and tight-knit community.”
According to the Colorado State Patrol, the truck driver did not have a valid commercial driver’s license at the time of the crash, and witnesses told FOX31 that the trucker was driving “aggressively” before the crash. Police records also point to the truck going 76 mph before crashing into the family’s SUV, which was found to be going about 10 mph.
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The truck also had several brake violations, according to police.
Family remembers five members killed in 2022
The jury trial to determine Puebla’s guilt or innocence started Monday, March 18. FOX31 spoke to the family’s great-uncle, Thomas Bueno, about the trial before it began.
“It’s so raw, you’re just so angry. But now it’s all about accountability,” Bueno said. “Maybe it will bring about change, that a vehicle or truck gets checked and there is something wrong with the brakes or something’s not allowed to be on the road.”
Police told FOX31 in 2022 that there was no evidence Puebla tried to steer away from the crash.
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