A 43-year-old man who was arrested after running over a state parole officer in downtown Colorado Springs, killing her, was sentenced to 48 years in prison Friday.
Officer Christine Guerin-Sandoval, 50, was approaching Justin Kula’s car near North Spruce and East Bijou streets the afternoon of Sept. 28 for a welfare check when Kula ran over Sandoval and another officer while fleeing the scene.
Guerin-Sandoval died at the hospital. The second officer was treated and released from the hospital the same day.
Kula was arrested several hours later. He was convicted of vehicular homicide, manslaughter, assault and leaving the scene of an accident involving death, all felonies, by an El Paso County jury in February.
He was sentenced to 48 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on Friday, court records show.
Guerin-Sandoval worked as a community parole officer for five years and previously worked at the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, . She is survived by her husband, two children, mother, three siblings, and numerous nieces, nephews and friends.
In a statement Monday, Colorado Department of Corrections officials said Guerin-Sandoval’s loss is still felt across the entire agency.
“Officer Guerin-Sandoval’s memory continues to guide our work. We will never forget her service, her sacrifice or the impact she had on this Department and the community she served,” state officials said.
Kula was represented by the Office of the State Public Defender, which does not comment on criminal cases.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
