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James McDonald, 33, was convicted of vehicular homicide and speeding after the November 2022 crash.
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. — The driver in a deadly high-speed crash on Interstate 25 has been sentenced to 12 years in prison, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said on Thursday.
James McDonald, 33, received the maximum prison sentence for the November 2022 crash after being convicted in September of vehicular homicide and speeding.
On the afternoon of Nov. 18, 2022, Colorado State Patrol troopers responded to a single car rollover crash on northbound I-25 near Exit 184, which is close to the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock. They found a Mitsubishi Lancer on its side in a drainage ditch along the highway.
The investigation revealed that McDonald was speeding and weaving in and out of traffic before losing control of the car and crashing into a guardrail. After colliding with the guardrail, the car went airborne and rolled before landing on its side in a ditch. The backseat passenger was thrown from the car.
McDonald and his two passengers were taken to the hospital. Several hours later, the passenger who was thrown from the car died from her injuries.
The DA’s office said accident reconstruction technology showed that prior to the crash, McDonald was traveling more than 100 mph in a 65 mph zone. They also determined from the car’s airbag module system that that he had reached speeds over 106 mph before the airbags deployed.
McDonald and his front seat passenger were wearing seat belts. The backseat passenger was not.
“This tragedy was 100% preventable,” Deputy District Attorney Keegan Doheney said in a statement. “This defendant’s selfish actions put the lives of everyone in that car in danger. It’s a miracle no one else was killed.”
“There was no logical reason this defendant needed to endanger his passengers and other innocent motorists on I-25 by driving more than 40 mph over the posted speed limit,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Doug Bechtel. “While no prison sentence can replace the sudden loss of a loved one, I hope this maximum sentence can bring some closure to the victim’s family.”
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