Emotional day in Colorado court as Coban Porter sentenced to 6 years in prison for deadly DUI crash

It was an emotional day in a Colorado courtroom Friday as a judge sentenced Coban Porter to six years in prison for last year's deadly DUI crash that killed one person and seriously injured another. The two-vehicle crash on Jan. 22, 2023, happened at the intersection of South University and Buchtel Boulevard in Denver. 

Katharina Rothman, 42, was killed and a male passenger in her car suffered serious injuries.

At the time of the crash, Porter was an active player on the University of Denver men's basketball team. Porter is the younger brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr.  

The family of the victim tried to explain what type of person Katharina was and how they would never get to see her again. 

"It's so hard for both families. I mean, our hearts, we'll always have pain in our hearts, and we're always going to miss my Katharina, but I think we… I think we feel peace now," said Katharina's mother Connie Johnson.  

Michael Porter Jr. was in court for the sentencing and he spoke to the judge.

"My second thought was, 'Man, I hope, I hope not Coban. Of anyone in my family, there's no way Coban is going through this.' Like I said, he's the one out of all of us, he's the one who doesn't deserve to do that, and even though he made choices, you know, there are a lot of people in life who make bad choices, and it doesn't end up the way it did for Coban," said Michael Porter Jr. "I remember during the whole process, I was just thinking, 'Man, I wish it was me.'"

Coban Porter pleaded guilty in February to one count of vehicular homicide- DUI and one count of vehicular assault- DUI.