A jury found William Hines, the driver who hit and killed Irene Flores-Zeferino, 25, with his car during the summer of 2022, guilty of one count of careless driving resulting in death. The finding followed a two-day trial that started on Oct. 21.
The six-person jury deliberated for over 8 hours, delivering the guilty verdict a little before 10 p.m. on Oct. 22. In Colorado, Class 1 traffic offenses are punishable by 10 days to 12 months in county jail and $300 to $1,000 in fines, plus points on the offender’s license.
In July of 2022, Hines, 32, struck Flores-Zeferino while she was crossing Hwy. 50 at the intersection of New York Avenue. The Gunnison Police Department responded to the call just before 9:30 p.m. Flores-Zeferino was transported to Gunnison Valley Hospital, and later, St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, where she was pronounced dead.
The guilty verdict followed nearly two years of back and forth in county court, in which the case nearly progressed to a jury trial twice and almost ended in a plea deal. In January, former district attorney Darren Struble and Hines’ lawyer agreed to a deal that had Hines enter a guilty plea to one count of careless driving resulting in death and one count of reckless driving.
The plea included a deferred judgment and sentence for the first count of careless driving resulting in death. That agreement meant Hines entered a guilty plea in exchange for a probationary period with certain conditions. In his case, it meant two years of unsupervised probation, 10-15 days in jail and 120 hours of public service, among others.
But the court rejected the plea on Jan. 30. After Flores-Zeferino’s family attorney Jon Schumacher read letters from the victims' loved ones, and argument and discussion, Gunnison County Court Judge Ashley Burgemeister found that the deal was “not appropriate.” Hines’ later rescinded his guilty plea and the matter was set for trial in July. It was later pushed to October. Sentencing is set for Nov. 21.
(Abby Harrison can be contacted at 970.641.1414 or abby@gunnisontimes.com.)
