DOC officer admitted he was drinking before crash in Aurora, police say - The Denver Post

DOC officer admitted he was drinking before crash in Aurora, police say - The Denver Post

A 38-year-old Department of Corrections officer has admitted to police that he was drinking and taking painkillers in the hours before his car slammed into a car carrying a family of three Saturday morning, Aurora police Lt. Chuck DeShazer said.

DOC employee Jason Ulrich was driving his personal vehicle, a Toyota Tacoma, when it swerved on East Smoky Hill Road near South Riviera Way at 9:05 a.m. and hit a car carrying Jonathan Price, 36, Price's wife, Diane, 32, and the couple's 2-year-old daughter.

DeShazer said Saturday night that Jonathan Price was in serious but non-life-threatening condition. Diane Price and her daughter were treated and released.

Motorists first spotted Ulrich weaving near East Arapahoe and

Photos

• Slideshow: Photos of the crash scene involving a dept. of corrections officer on Saturday, August 13, 2011.

South Parker roads. About two minutes after those witnesses called, Ulrich crashed, DeShazer said. Investigators estimate that Ulrich was traveling at 75 mph in a 45 mph zone. Once he was eastbound on East Smoky Hill Road, Ulrich swerved into the median, over-corrected and hit the Price's westbound Honda Pilot.

Ulrich was still in the hospital Saturday evening.

Katherine Sanguinetti, DOC spokeswoman, said Ulrich is a probationary employee hired in November. He is an entry-level corrections officer at the Denver Women's Correctional Facility, 3600 Havana St., in Denver.

Ulrich has not been charged. DeShazer said that if Ulrich's blood tests show alcohol or drugs, a case will be presented to the Arapahoe County district attorney's office for a filing of vehicular assault.

DeShazer added that vehicular assault could also be filed against Ulrich if his driving was reckless — if in fact he was going 75 mph in a posted 45 mph.