Several Denver police officers testified Thursday that they didn’t detect the smell of alcohol when they contacted Sandra Lee Jacobson after a double-fatal crash.
It wasn’t until Jacobson was questioned at police headquarters that a sergeant smelled alcohol and gave her a breath test, which showed she had a 0.18 blood-alcohol reading, more than double the legal limit.
Jacobson, 40, of Centennial is charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, leaving the scene of an accident and drunken driving. She is accused of causing a Jan. 28 crash near Denver International Airport that killed two librarians who were riding in a taxi.
Jacobson’s attorney, Charles Elliot, filed a motion to suppress the breath, blood and other alcohol tests along with statements Jacobson made to police after the incident. He appeared to raise the possibility police did not have probable cause to conduct the tests. But officers testified that Jacobson consented to the tests and signed a waiver of her Miranda rights.
Judge Sheila Rappaport is set to hear oral arguments on the motions Oct. 30.
Officer Scott Houghton, the first to contact Jacobson, said she appeared agitated and emotional, but he thought it was a reaction to being told the crash was fatal.
Felisa Cardona, The Denver Post
