A plea agreement has reportedly been reached in the case involving the Berthoud teen accused of causing a car crash earlier this year that cost two of her classmates their legs.
Michelle Berra faced two counts of careless driving resulting in bodily injury for allegedly running her Toyota Land Cruiser into fellow Berthoud High students Tyler Carron and Nikko Landeros.
The crash shattered the legs of both boys, who were star wrestlers at Berthoud High.
Berra’s attorney, John Chanin, confirmed a plea deal Tuesday evening but would not provide details.
Chanin had claimed in court papers that both boys were drinking before the accident and that Carron was unlawfully transporting more than one passenger and had driven on a flat tire for one mile, passing six residential driveways without stopping.
Chanin also questioned the handling of the investigation of the case, saying the involvement of a distant relative of Carron’s — a Thornton police officer — may have influenced the charges against Berra.
Investigators have denied they were unduly influenced.
Carron and and Landeros were changing a tire on their Isuzu Trooper late on Jan. 15 on County Road 17 after driving home from a dance. Berra told officers she didn’t see the boys standing behind the Trooper because she was distracted by a truck traveling behind her.
Soon after the crash, the boys’ legs were amputated. Both began painful rehabilitation and were fitted with prosthetic limbs.
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or at mwhaley@denverpost.com.
