A man accused of driving through a home with his vehicle and killing two people inside pleaded not guilty to three felonies.
George Maestas, 68, of Green River, recently appeared in the Third District Court of Judge Nena James at an arraignment to two felony counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of driving under the influence of a controlled substance causing serious bodily injury (first offense).
If found guilty of all three charges, Maestas could serve a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison and a maximum fine of $25,000. A jury trial has been scheduled to take place July 10, 2017.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2017, a Green River Police officer responded to 695 Evers to check on a vehicle crash, which involved Maestas, who was the driver of a 2005 Mazda Tribute.
Upon arrival, the officer saw the vehicle was driven into the living room of the residence, which was occupied by four adults, Debra Devries, Frank Johnson, Suzette Johnson and Kylee Johnson and a one-year-old child Stella Doak.
The officer also noticed Maestas walking away from the driver’s side of the vehicle, which was completely lodged inside the front living room of the house.
Maestas walked out of the house and around the corner and made his way to Monroe Avenue. The officer decided to go get Maestas because he figured he was the driver of the vehicle. He told Maestas to remain in the yard and Maestas told him with slurred speech “I was driving. I need to go get help.” The officer thought Maestas appeared disoriented and also had blood-shot eyes.
The officer helped Castle Rock Medical employees locate the people inside of the house.
Another officer, who is a Drug Recognition Expert arrived at the scene and also suspected Maestas was under the influence of something other than alcohol and had Maestas go through a DRE evaluation.
During this evaluation, Maestas said he left the Embassy Bar around 2 a.m., but while he was there some guy named Kevin gave him one Lortab pill, which he took. Right before bedtime, around 3 or 4 a.m. he took a shot of Nyquil. He then woke up around 7 a.m. and had a cup of coffee before leaving his house around 9 a.m.
Maestas then went to the Embassy Bar to shoot pool with his friend, but his friend wasn’t at the bar so he drove to another friend’s house, but she wasn’t home either. He then went to Smith’s Food and Drug where he bought doughnuts and a sandwich. After Smith’s, he drove to another friend’s house to drop off the friend’s truck he was driving and pick up the Mazda.
Maestas told the officer the last time he remembered driving, before the wreck, was when he made a right turn off of Hitching Post onto Monroe Avenue.
The officer determined Maestas was under the influence of a narcotic analgesic.
The officers were updated on the medical conditions of the patients and were told Debra Devries and Stella Doak died due to injuries incurred in the crash and that Frank Johnson had several injuries, including broken ribs, a fractured T11 vertebrae, and a punctured lung, which later collapsed.
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