Aurora – Aurora police are recommending charges against a driver who hit and killed a woman from Highlands Ranch on the day she was to be married.
Police initially suspected that both drivers had been drinking and that Arlene Gavrilis made a u-turn in front of Kevin Kraft at Hampden and Nucla on June 4th, at 2:21 a.m.
Just hours earlier, Gavrilis, 25, had been at her wedding rehearsal dinner. She was carrying her wedding dress inside her Volkswagen Beetle. She was ejected and died at the scene.
Today, police released the results of an accident reconstruction which showed Gavrilis had not been drinking, and was not at fault.
“The toxicology results for Kevin Kraft, the driver of the Dodge pickup truck were well in excess of the .08 blood alcohol content that is legal,” said Aurora Police Ofc. Marcus Dudley.
Police said the initial report by a witness of an attempted u-turn by Gavrilis was disproven by the accident reconstruction.
The reconstruction also indicated that Kraft, 27, was speeding.
Police also mentioned Kraft’s history of motor vehicle violations including a DUI charge.
Aurora police are requesting that the Arapahoe County District Attorney pursue vehicular homicide, DUI, and reckless driving charges against Kraft.
The family of Arlene Gavrilis issued statement about the investigation.
“Based on our faith and our personal beliefs, we know in our hearts that Arlene is in a better place and that we will see her again,” it said, in part.
“Until that time, we will have to learn to cope with this appaling, meaningless tragedy and find forgiveness in our hearts. Furthermore, we will do everything we can to help protect other innocent people from those who drink and drive. We also feel very strongly that Arlene’s death on her wedding day could have been prevented if stricter laws and more severe penalties existed for first-time alcohol related driving offenders,” it said.
