Teen driver in 2005 fatal wreck killed in I-25 crash
By Coloradoan staff
A Berthoud teenager who pleaded guilty tothe deaths of two teens in a 2005 car wreck was killed early this morning in a crash near Fort Collins that investigators believe was alcohol-related.
Benjamin Moden, 18, was killed when he lost control of his 1998 Plymouth minivan at about 4 a.m. on southbound Interstate 25 north of Fort Collins, the Colorado State Patrol reported. He and his passenger, Joseph Darr, 21, of Loveland, were both ejected from the minivan as it rolled, according to the State Patrol. Darr was seriously injured and taken to Poudre Valley Hospital. Southbound I-25 was closed until about 8:15 a.m. today as the wreckage was cleared.
Alcohol is believed to be a factor in the wreck, said Master Trooper Ron Watkins, a CSP spokesman in Denver.
Moden was the driver in a May 25, 2005, crash at Larimer County Road 4 and Weld County Road 1 that killed a Berthoud High School classmate and a Fort Collins teen. Another Berthoud High student in Moden's car, was injured, as was the 68-year-old driver of the vehicle Moden struck after he ran a stop sign, according to a press release from the Wed County district attorney's office.
He pleaded guilty on Sept. 21, 2005, two two counts of careless driving resulting in death, one count of careless driving resulting in bodily injury and one count of disregarding a stop sign, according to the DA's press release at the time.
Moden was sentenced to serve one year jail through electronic home monitoring with releases for work, school and community service and a total of five years probation, requiring no violations of municipal, state or federal laws, as well as no traffic violations of four pointsor more.
He wase required to complete a driving class, undergo a drug evaluation and follow the recommendations ofthat evaluation, perform 300 hours of useful public service, 40 of which must include speaking at schools about the dangers and consequences of driving carelessly, and pay a total of $1,100 in fines, plus additional court costs.
It wasn't immediately clear if Monden had completed his electronic monitoring sentence or his public service.
More details throughout the day at Coloradoan.com, and in Monday's Coloradoan.
