Earl James Garczynski was indicted on Monday and charged with first-degree murder and other related charges.
Garczynski allegedly caused a four-vehicle crash on Hwy. 287 on May 19. Witnesses said Garczynski approached a black Camaro in the median near mile marker 322. He allegedly yelled at the two men in the car — Daniel Wright and James Jacobson.
Wright — who was driving the Camaro — returned to the highway and began driving normally with traffic headed southbound, witnesses told police. Garczynski pursued the Camaro by driving around 100 mph, according to a press release from the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office.
Garczynski collided with the Camaro which then crossed the median into northbound traffic. A Toyota Tundra, belonging to Jeffrey Laguna, collided with the Camaro causing the deaths of Wright and Jacobson. Laguna suffered serious bodily injuries, according to the news release.
Garczynski fled from the scene. In a later interview, he denied hitting the Camaro and changed his story multiple times, according to the news release.
Garczynski has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, assault in the first degree, leaving the scene of the crime, two counts of vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, assault in the second degree and tampering with evidence.
District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “As this indictment explains, it is alleged that the defendant took the lives of two people and seriously injured another in an act of road rage. Then, he tried to get away with it and avoid all responsibility. I want to thank the Colorado State Patrol, District Attorney Investigators, and prosecutors for their hard work on the investigation into this tragic crash. Generally speaking, in any crash that results in a loss of life, it is the specific conduct of the driver that determines what, if any, criminal charges can be filed. That’s why this intensive investigation, along with the cooperation of witnesses, was so important. With this indictment, we can now move forward with holding the person who caused this horrific crash fully responsible.”
