Littleton DUI Driver Guilty In Motorcyclists' Deaths: Jury

CENTENNIAL, CO -- An Arapahoe County jury on Tuesday found a Littleton man guilty of driving drunk and high when he hit and killed two people on a motorcycle on Labor Day, 2016.

Matthew Samuel Smith, 58, was found guilty of two counts of vehicular homicide-DUI , among other counts, in the Sept. 5, 2016, deaths of Brandon Dobson, 21, and Breona Knight, 20, a statement from the 18th Judicial District Attorney said.

“The defendant’s life intersected with the lives of two young people that night, and they ended up dead,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Brian Sugioka told the jury during closing arguments. “There was overwhelming evidence … he killed them because he was driving under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.”

According to police reports, Smith and a passenger were traveling in a 2005 Chrysler Town & Country minivan southbound on Parker Road in Aurora. Dobson was driving his motorcycle northbound on Parker with Knight as a passenger.

Smith turned left onto East Temple Drive, failing to yield to oncoming traffic. The minivan struck the motorcycle, throwing both riders from the bike, according to reports in the Aurora Sentinel. Neither were wearing helmets. Dobson was pronounced dead at Parker Adventist Hospital. Knight was pronounced dead at Medical Center of Aurora South.

Police said samples of Smith’s blood, drawn 90 minutes after the crash, showed a blood-alcohol content of 0.54 and presence of cocaine. Police also found five empty 50 ml bottles of peppermint schnapps in the van along with drug paraphernalia.

An Arapahoe County jury convicted Smith of two counts of vehicular homicide DUI; two counts of vehicular homicide reckless driving; two counts of reckless manslaughter; and one count of failure to yield right of way. Smith remains in jail pending sentencing, which is set for July 23, the DA's office said.

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