The driver whose limousine ran over East High School student Molly Bloom on prom night, costing her a leg, will plead guilty today to careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury and will be spared jail time, Bloom’s lawyer said.
The attorney, Stephen Wahlberg, said driver Stanley Sample, 38, will receive probation under a plea deal and will do community service.
Wahlberg said the Bloom family is satisfied with the plea agreement to the misdemeanor charge.
“We are very grateful to the Denver DA’s office and the Denver police for building a case strong enough that Mr. Sample will plead guilty as charged,” Robert and Bernadine Bloom said in a statement issued through Wahlberg.
Harvey Steinberg, Sample’s lawyer, said the plea offer was too good to pass up. He said Sample will not be fined or pay restitution and will perform 150 hours of public service. “We wouldn’t have done it if we didn’t feel it was a fair resolution,” Steinberg said.
Wahlberg said the deal will trigger a parole-revocation hearing for Sample in Arapahoe County that could send him to jail.
Sample pleaded guilty in 2002 to a felony charge of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and misdemeanor sexual assault, according to court records. He was barred from contacting minors, Wahlberg said. Bloom was 17 at the time of her prom-night injury. However, Steinberg denied that the Denver plea agreement will affect the Arapahoe County case.
On May 13, Bloom was among a group of prom friends boarding the passenger side of a stretch Hummer limousine when Sample began driving.
Bloom was dragged under the limo’s rear tire for 38 feet before Sample stopped.
During the entire time, Wahlberg said, Bloom remained conscious. She lost her entire left leg, and surgeons had to remove part of her hip and pelvis, he added. She underwent 13 surgeries.
“She’s done a remarkable job in recovery,” Wahlberg said. “She’s worked hard. It is unbelievable the work she has done.”
He added that the fact that Bloom is an accomplished swimmer and was very strong helped her immensely.
The Blooms have not filed a lawsuit against Sample’s employer, 5th Avenue N Style Limousine, Wahlberg said. “We have had ongoing discussions with the limo company,” he said.
The accident sparked national attention and fundraisers to pay for Bloom’s recovery.
Staff writer Howard Pankratz can be reached at 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com.
9News contributed to this report.
