Todd Grudznske, Repeat DUI Driver, Found Guilty Of Murder After Deadly Crash
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A repeat drunk driver has been found guilty of murder in the crash that killed Angela Wimmer in 2018. It was Todd Grudznske's sixth DUI.
Police said Wimmer, 25, was stopped at a red light Grudznske rear-ended her car, pushing it into oncoming traffic. Her car was hit by three other vehicles.
Investigators say the impact was so strong, Grudznske's license plate number was stamped into Wimmer's car.
Friends told CBS4 Wimmer was on her way home from church, when she was hit at the intersection of West Colfax Avenue and Kipling Street just a few blocks from her home.
The crash, which happened on Sept. 30, 2018, left debris spread out over 200 feet and there was massive damage to several of the vehicles involved, according to John Romero with the Lakewood Police Department.
Prosecutors say Grudznske knew the danger he was putting others in the day he chose to have several drinks before driving his truck.
Wimmer's family has been in court since the beginning.
"It's been tough coming in every day. It's something we have to do. To look at the defendant every day doesn't help much. He turns and he looks at us sometimes," said Randy Wimmer, Angela's father.
On Thursday, the jury returned their verdict in the murder trial. One reason a verdict wasn't reached Wednesday was because the jury asked for the definition and difference between cold blooded killing and malice. It took the prosecution and defense more than two hours of heated debate before the jury was given their answer.
Court was scheduled to resume at 1:30 p.m. for victim impact statements. Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 14 at 1 p.m.