Eli Pace / epace@skyhinews.com
The driver at fault in a fatal crash on July 2 in Grand County has been sentenced to jail time.
Brian Linquata, 48, of Fraser pleaded guilty in January to careless driving resulting in injury, failure to provide proof of insurance and following too closely. On Monday, he was sentenced to six months in jail pursuant to the plea agreement.
According to the district attorney’s office, Linquata will also face consequences against his driving privileges and have to pay large amounts of restitution and fines. The plea deal stipulated a total restitution of almost $16,500.
Linquata was initially charged with careless driving resulting in death for causing a crash west of Tabernash that involved four vehicles and led to the death of Bradley Dinsmore, 55, of Granby.
Linquata was following too closely when he rear-ended another vehicle as traffic slowed. This caused Linquata to veer into oncoming traffic and hit the car driven by Dinsmore.
“Today’s sentence cannot undo the tragic loss of Mr. Dinsmore, but it does send a message that following too closely and careless driving on our mountain highways will result in a lengthy jail sentence, as allowed under the law,” the prosecution said in a statement.