BOULDER — The woman accused of killing beloved Louisville resident John Breaux in a Jan. 30 roadside accident broke down in tears inside a Boulder County courtroom Wednesday, telling her attorney and family, “I put so many people through so much.”
Mary Jo Anne Thomas, 62, was charged Wednesday morning with a single count of criminally negligent homicide, after toxicology tests found that she was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. The low-level felony carries a punishment that could range from probation to three years in prison.
Thomas’ hand shook as she stood sobbing in the courtroom, her daughter and attorney by her side. When asked by defense attorney Raphael Flores whether she understood what was happening in court, Thomas replied through her tears: “I know what happened, and I know how it happened.”
Flores told Judge Carolyn Hoye Enichen that Thomas suffers from a “mental defect” that affects her ability to fully grasp what’s happening. According to her longtime friend and neighbor, Thomas suffers from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Prosecutor Bryan Quiram said the negligent-homicide charge was the most appropriate of three options considered by the district attorney’s office. The other options included vehicular homicide, which is a higher-level felony, or careless driving resulting in death, a traffic offense.
Quiram said the charging decision was influenced by the return of toxicology tests showing Thomas was not under the influence of any drugs or alcohol when officials say her PT Cruiser veered off U.S. 287 and hit Breaux, 57, who was well-known in eastern Boulder County for picking up trash along the road.
