A judge sentenced a Colorado boy to two years — the maximum under juvenile law — at a Colorado juvenile prison in the hit-and-run death of a touring bicyclist last summer.
Illinois bicyclist Dave Tomlinson was taking part in a group bicycle ride through Colorado last July when he was struck from behind by an SUV on Route 550 near Colona, between Montrose and Ouray. He was thrown more than 100 feet by the impact.
None of the other members of the 20-member chartered bike tour saw the collision, but witnesses immediately reported the crash. The 14-year-old youth was apprehended at a Montrose parking lot.
In spite of making a guilty plea to leaving the scene of an accident involving a death, the teen stuck to his story that another car hit Tomlinson first.
Tomlinson's widow, Roberta, spoke at the sentencing hearing. According to the Montrose Daily Press:
“Dave accepted the risks of biking on the road. … But you don’t expect the risks to be someone who shouldn’t have been on the road in the first place.”
The boy's stepfather said the youth had taken his car at least 10 times without authorization.
The youth's attorney, Amanda Hammond, pleaded for leniency:
“Accidents happen and that’s all this was — purely an accident and one committed by a terrified child.”
Two years in the Department of Youth Corrections is the maximum under state law.
Members of the Timberline Adventures bicycle tour through Colorado were shaken by the tragedy. They held an emotional meeting at their hotel in Ridgway where some considered not continuing the tour.
A memorial fund in Dave Tomlinson's name was established at the Members Choice Credit Union, 3919 N. University St., Peoria, Illinois.
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