Lucero vehicular homicide trial set

SAN LUIS — Status discussions involving former Boulder Mayor Bob Greenlee, who is charged with nine criminal counts for his role in a fatal five-car crash that claimed popular SLV resident Pat Lucero, 70, on La Veta Pass Dec. 28 of last year, have been pushed to Sept. 18, with motions being heard Dec. 8.

He did not appear in Costilla County District Court for a hearing on arraignment Monday, Aug. 21, and has not appeared for other actions in Costilla County since turning himself in to the Boulder County Jail on a warrant March 16 and then bonding out.

Greenlee, 75, has been charged by the 12th Judicial District with vehicular homicide, criminally negligent homicide, vehicular assault, two counts of careless driving causing injury, reckless driving, speeding, reckless endangerment and improper passing on the left.

Trial is tentatively set from January 29 to February 6, 2018.

Senior Judge Jon Kolomitz said he was “frustrated” with the continued delays in the case but scheduled a new arraignment hearing for August 21.

At his hearing this week, Kolomitz asked Greenlee’s attorneys to indicate how their client planned to plead, so it could be determined whether Greenlee would need to appear in Costilla County in person or if he would be allowed to phone in to the hearing, as he has for past proceedings.

Greenlee’s attorneys indicated he likely would plead not guilty to all of the charges and ask that a trial date be set. Kolomitz allowed Greenlee to call in to the hearing since he was not entering into any plea agreement.

The next status conference will be at 1:30 a.m. Sept. 13, with a motions hearing Dec. 8.

Greenlee, who was on the call but only spoke to confirm to the judge he heard the new court date, is out of custody on a $25,000 personal recognizance bond. His driver’s license is currently suspended.

He was one of the drivers in a five-vehicle crash on Dec. 28 that killed Lucero, 70, and left Greenlee and his wife hospitalized with critical injuries.

Driving a 2003 Cadillac Escalade west on Colorado 160 the afternoon of Wednesday, Dec. 28, Greenlee was driving 87 mph in a 65 mph zone westbound on U.S. Highway 160 at the time of the crash. His vehicle hit Lucero’s eastbound 2010 Toyota Camry when he crossed into her lane to pass another vehicle.

After the initial collision, Lucero’s vehicle collided with a 2015 Freightliner pulling a trailer in her lane and a 2006 Kia Spectra in the oncoming lane. After hitting Lucero’s vehicle, Greenlee’s vehicle hit a BMW X5 head-on in the oncoming lane, before going off the edge of the highway.

Costilla County Coroner Tommy Rodriguez pronounced Lucero dead at the scene.

Greenlee and his wife Diane were seriously injured in the crash.