Alcohol Awareness Classes Don't Teach Swimming to Escape a DUI

by: Mike Miller
6/30/2016

As strange as it sounds, this is a true story out of Longmont, Colorado. Last week a 32-year-old Boulder woman, Lisa Norton rammed her Ford pickup truck into the Nissan Coupe driven by Gabriel Nelson. Nelson died at the scene and two of his passengers, a woman and child were life-flighted to a local hospital.

Crazy Escape

No stranger to driving under the influence, or getting caught, Norton decided to try and flee the scene by running across a couple of streets, jumping into a lake and trying to swim to safety. Unfortunately, boaters who witnessed the entire scene apprehended Norton in the middle of the lake, called 911, and turned her over to police!

History of DUI

While toxicology reports had not come back yet, Longmont police feel certain Norton was legally intoxicated when the accident occurred. In this case, as with many DUI accidents, you cannot give Norton the benefit of the doubt.

Just 2 days prior to this accident Norton pleaded guilty to DUI and was sentenced to 12 months of probation and alcohol awareness classes. Norton was arrested on several charges, including suspicion of DUI-related vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, DUI and driving with a revoked license.

It is cases like Norton where you really wish there were even stronger penalties for DUI in Colorado.