Denver prosecutors filed criminal charges Wednesday afternoon against two men accused in connection with Friday’s hit-and-run crash that killed a mother and her two children.
Lawrence Trujillo, 36, the alleged drunken driver of a pickup truck that mowed down three members of the Bingham family in a downtown Denver crosswalk, is expected in Denver County Court on Friday to be advised of the charges against him.
Trujillo faces three counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence, three counts of vehicular homicide while driving recklessly, three counts of leaving the scene of an accident that resulted in death, one count of leaving the scene of an accident that caused bodily injury and one count of third-degree assault.
While there are many variables in the sentencing process, Trujillo faces up to 54 years in prison if he’s convicted of all the charges, said Lynn Kimbrough, spokeswoman for the Denver district attorney’s office.
Trujillo’s attorney, Robert L. Bernhardt, did not return a message seeking comment.
Eric Phil Snell, 35, who police say was a passenger in Trujillo’s pickup, was charged with six counts of accessory to a crime. He also faces one count of driving under the influence stemming from his arrest during a traffic stop a few hours after Friday night’s fatal hit-and-run.
Snell could receive up to 18 years in prison if he is convicted on all counts, Kimbrough said.
Snell’s attorney, Harvey A. Steinberg, declined to comment, saying he did not want to defend Snell in the press.
An arrest affidavit shows Snell admitted to police that he was a passenger in Trujillo’s truck at the time of Friday’s 8:40 p.m. crash at 15th and Arapahoe streets and that he helped Trujillo try to hide the damaged truck after it happened.
The affidavit also says Trujillo admitted to police that he knew he was too drunk to drive and that he also knew he had hit pedestrians.
Blood-alcohol levels for Trujillo and Snell were not indicated. However, the affidavits indicate that police could smell alcohol on both Trujillo’s and Snell’s breath three to four hours after the crash.
Denver investigators are trying to determine where the men were before and after the incident.
Management at Cheerleaders, a strip club at 6710 Federal Blvd., said late Wednesday that they are reviewing surveillance tapes to determine whether the two men were there the night of the crash.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or at fcardona@denverpost.com.
