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Gypsum Man Accused Of DUI Just One Of Many Recent Vehicular Homicide Cases

EAGLE, Colo. (CBS4) - A Gypsum man has been arrested in connection with a crash that killed another driver.

According to the 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office, Anthony Eugene Chase, 47, of Gypsum has been charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, DUI and tampering with evidence for a July 23 accident on Highway 6 in Eagle County.

"According to police reports Chase was allegedly driving a Mack truck westbound on Highway 6 near milepost No. 156 when the construction pumper truck crossed the center line at 5:21 p.m. and struck a white Chevy van driven by Sergio Ordonez-Morales," the district attorney's office said in a statement.

Ordonez-Morales, 29, later died at Vail Valley Medical Center from injuries received in the crash.

"The regularity of crashes resulting in death that involved intoxicated drivers is disturbing," District Attorney Bruce Brown said in a statement. "The charge here is very serious and could result in a lengthy prison sentence."

Chase was released Friday on a $15,000 bond. He has a bond review hearing on Nov. 17.

Additional Information From The 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office

There are several recent and pending cases involving vehicular homicide / assault in the Fifth Judicial District including:

• June 2015 - Hugo Castillo-Marquez of Avon, Colorado was sentenced to two years in the Department of Corrections for vehicular homicide in the death of a local woman who was a passenger in Castillo's car on August 21, 2014.

• May 2015 - Emanuel Villeda of Pueblo was sentenced to twelve years in prison for vehicular homicide / DUI in connection with a June, 2014 crash that led to the death of one man and the paralysis of another.

• February 2015 - Michael Glass was sentenced to five years probation and a jail term of three-hundred and sixty days for injuring a pedestrian and leaving the scene of an accident in Avon on December 9, 2013 that left the victim with a compound leg fracture.
Pending Cases:

• Steven Gravatt, 55, of Blue River, Colorado was charged in September for the hit-and-run death of a woman in Breckenridge in late August 2015. Gravatt has a preliminary hearing on November 4th @ 1:30 pm;

• Hallie Schmitt, 25, of Dillon was charged with vehicular assault related to a hit-and-run accident in Breckenridge in December 2014. Schmitt has a motions hearing on November 23 @ 11 am;

• John Althouse, 34, of Vail pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide (reckless driving) and driving under the influence (DUI) in September. Althouse was sentenced to 6 years in DoC with five years suspended and one-year mandatory parole.

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