A Texas trucker who killed two Grand Junction women in an accident on Interstate 70 last year was sentenced Friday to five years in prison.
Richard E. Widmier, 64, pleaded guilty to two counts of vehicular homicide on Sept. 21.
The accident happened during a blizzard on April 4, 2009. Widmier was driving his semi-tractor trailer on I-70, about 7 miles west of Limon, when he rear-ended a Jeep Liberty that was traveling about 15 mph.
After being hit by the rig, the Jeep spun sideways and collided with the rear of a 1998 Ford F-150 pickup driven by a 28-year-old man from Greeley.
The Jeep burst into flames, killing Ginger M. Gillespie, 48, and Lois A. Kelton, 77.
The tractor trailer also hit the rear of the F-150, causing it to slide into the back of a Chevrolet Suburban.
“You have three vehicles traveling slow because of the blizzard conditions,” Colorado State Trooper Gilbert Mares said after the accident. “The semi comes up behind them and hits them.”
Information from witness statements indicates Widmier was driving between 56 mph and 63 mph at the tine of the crash, officials said.
Judge Jeffery Holmes sentenced Widmier to 5 years for each count of vehicular homicide, but the sentences will run concurrently.
