Investigators Still Trying to Determine Where Dean Carlson Was Drinking in Boulder
Dean Carlson, pictured in court, is facing several charges relating to his DUI
A man charged with vehicular assault, reckless driving, and DUI has investigators puzzled in terms of where he spent the night drinking before he got behind the while and caused a violent collision on Diagonal Highway north of Boulder early Saturday morning.
Dean Carlson, 56, admitted to drinking in between 10 and 12 beers Friday night in Boulder on Pearl St. However, he apparently does not remember specifically which bars he was drinking at, only that he drank at several.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Matthew Petty said that Carlson was driving south in the northbound lanes when he struck a Toyota Yaris, injuring both the driver and passenger. The driver, Sean Balog, was treated and released from Longmont United Hospital. The passenger of the vehicle remains in critical condition on life support at Denver Health Medical Center.
It is illegal for bars to continue to serve visibly intoxicated customers in Colorado. The crime is punishable by a suspension or revocation of an establishment's liquor license, depending on previous violations, said Mishawn Cook, Boulder's licensing clerk. Cook added that a customer who is later cited for DUI has no impact on the status of a bar's liquor license.
Trooper Petty visited several Pearl St. bars with Carlson's picture in hopes of identifying which bars served the man prior to his accident, though no employees at any of the bars have been able to positively identify Carlson. "A lot of bars said it was really busy Friday night, so that's a lot of faces to see. At this point we don't know where he drank that night with any degree of certainty." Petty added.
Criminal punishment for bars that overserve customers can be elusive said Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner. District Attorney Stan Garnett added that charges will be filed and pursued if evidence is discovered indicating that Carlson was over served at a specific location. However, the D.A. also implied that civil cases involving over serving can be more effective than criminal charges.
"The best way to stop this is to get management to watch their employees. That's where those (lawsuits) are so effective," reflected Garnett.
Carlson is scheduled to appear in court again August 16 for a preliminary hearing.
If you are injured by a suspected drunk driver, or hurt in any car accident in the Denver area, please call The Law Offices of Robert Paysinger today at (303)-279-0221 for a free initial consultation. We help injured people - it's all we do!
Sources: Investigators Unsure Where Driver in Diagonal Highway Crash Drank Night of DUI Crash
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