Drunk Driver Who Killed Teen, Injured Another Sentenced To 28 Years
GOLDEN, Colo. (CBS4)- A drunk driver who was texting when he killed a teenage girl and seriously injured another was sentenced to 28 years in prison on Thursday.
David Bunn pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges in July for last fall's crash that killed Lyneah Dike, 17.
Her father, Joseph Dike, spoke about his daughter shortly after the hearing ended, "She wanted to do good things, she wanted to help people."
Investigators say Bunn's blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit when crossed into the lanes on Wadsworth Boulevard and smashed head-on into a car. The wreck killed Dike and seriously injured the 18-year-old driver, Lyndsey Petrie.
Police say not only was Bunn's blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit but that Bunn, 54, was also texting at the time of the crash.
Bunn's lawyer pleaded with a judge for a reasonable sentence, "He (Bunn) can't bring back Lyneah Dike and he can't fix Lyndsey Petrie and he's ready to take his medicine."
Petrie survived the crash but suffered serious injuries to her legs, leaving her confined to a wheelchair.
"I wake up every morning hoping to look down at my legs and they're normal, no scars, just normal," Petrie told the judge.
After nearly two hours of victim impact statements the Jefferson County judge spoke directly to Bunn, telling him what happened was no accident and sentencing him to 28 years in the Department of Corrections.
Both of the girls' mothers reacted to the decision shortly after leaving the courtroom.
"It wasn't enough for me," said Dike's mom Christina Martel, "I mean, I'm glad he got what he got and didn't walk out of here but I lost everything."
The families are hoping if anything good can come out of this tragedy, it's that people see their pain and think twice about drinking and getting behind the wheel.
"Nothing is going to make this better, but if we can make a difference than that makes me feel a little better," said Lindsey's mother Heather Luebcke.
"Nothing will ever be enough for what he's put us through," said Petrie.
Karen Morfitt Joined the CBS4 team as a reporter in 2013. She covers a variety of stories in and around metro Denver. Follow her on Twitter @karenmorfitt or email her tips.
