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Jury finds driver guilty of murder in connection to five-car crash that killed 1 in Lakewood

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GOLDEN, Colo. — A Jefferson County jury found a 47-year-old man guilty of several counts in connection to a fatal five-car crash in Lakewood in late September 2018.

Todd Kenneth Grudznske was found guilty of all the charges against him, which included first-degree murder with extreme indifference and vehicular homicide Thursday afternoon. In total, he faced 15 charges, which included two sentence enhancers.

Authorities said on Sept. 30, he failed to stop at a red light, causing a crash at the intersection of W. Colfax Avenue and Kipling Street.

On the day of the crash, Grudznske was driving a GMC truck in the southbound lanes of Kipling Street when he approached the W. Colfax Avenue intersection. He failed to slow down and stop at the red light, and crashed into the back of a stopped gray Mazda, pushing it into adjacent incoming traffic. Three vehicles moving east on Colfax were also involved in the crash.

The driver of the Mazda, 25-year-old Angela Wimmer, was transported to a hospital and died.

Grudznske was arrested after the crash. He had injuries that were not life-threatening. The passengers in the other cars were not injured.

Previously, Grudznske had pleaded guilty to seven violations of driving under the influence:

  • May 2000: Pleaded guilty to DWAI in Boulder County
  • November 2000: Pleaded guilty to DUI in Jefferson County
  • August 2001: Pleaded guilty to DUI in Boulder County
  • March 2003: Pleaded guilty to DUI in Broomfield County
  • June 2003: Pleaded guilty to DUI in Jefferson County
  • April 2004: Pleaded guilty to driving under restraint in Jefferson County
  • March 2007: Pleaded guilty to DUI in Jefferson County