Amber Villarreal and her 18-year-old son, Elijah, were changing a tire on the northbound side of Interstate 25 when they were killed in 2022.
CASTLE ROCK, Colo — A woman who claimed she “did not realize she was in a crash” after slamming into a disabled vehicle on the side of Interstate 25 and killing a mother and her son in 2022 was sentenced to more than two decades behind bars.
“This defendant’s actions have permanently torn apart a family,” Senior Deputy DA Corrie Caler said. “This preventable tragedy took the life of a beloved mother, wife, and grandmother, along with her 18-year-old son who was just beginning his life.”
Amber Villarreal and her 18-year-old son, Elijah, were changing a tire on the northbound side of I-25 near milepost 182 when they were struck and killed by Michelle Branch on Oct. 12, 2022. At the time, a Colorado State Patrol trooper vehicle was parked behind Villarreal’s vehicle with its emergency lights.
Branch then ran into the guardrail, disabling her vehicle, according to investigators.
When the trooper asked her what happened, she said her car wouldn’t start and that she didn’t realize she was in a crash. The trooper smelled alcohol on her breath and had her take a roadside test, which she failed.
She refused to provide a breath test, but, according to prosecutors, a blood draw at the hospital showed her blood alcohol level was 0.13, which is above the legal driving limit of 0.08.
Branch pleaded guilty to the following charges April 19:
- Two counts of vehicular homicide/DUI
- Failure to exercise caution/yield right of way to emergency stationary vehicle causing death
She was immediately sentenced to 10 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections on each of the vehicular homicide/DUI charges. She received 18 months in prison on the other count. All of the sentences will run consecutively. Branch was also ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution.
“While no sentence can eliminate the pain and grief the Villarreal family is going through, I sincerely hope it provides some closure and justice for them,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Garrik Storgaard. “This defendant had no business being on the road that night after drinking.”
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