Brandon Cullip, 18, was sentenced Friday to two years in the Department of Youth Corrections for reckless vehicular homicide in the 2014 death of 16-year-old Chad Britton outside Broomfield High School.
Cullip, who had his license only a few days, had been smoking marijuana and been warned by friends in his car that he was “too high to drive.” He struck Britton with his vehicle while Britton was standing outside his vehicle near Broomfield High School, according to a news release from Dave Young, District Attorney for the 17th Judicial District.
Cullip, who was 17 at the time of the accident, was charged as a juvenile with vehicular homicide, DUI and other traffic and petty drug offenses after the Nov. 3, 2014, incident. He pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide-reckless driving on Feb. 2 and was adjudicated delinquent, Young said.
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“What makes it especially tragic is the fact that another juvenile caused this homicide,” Young said. “I hope that this sentence brings a sense of closure to the family as well as helping the respondent rehabilitate himself and come out of this to educate others as to the harm of driving under the influence of marijuana.”
Family, friends and students from Broomfield High School packed the courtroom for the sentencing hearing.
“I have a hole in my heart that will never be mended,” Chad Britton’s father, Lonnie Britton told the judge. “Some days the grief and sadness is so overwhelming I have to leave work or don’t feel I can even get out of bed or live for that matter.”
Deputy District Attorney Alex Baker said Cullip was in a juvenile diversion program on another offense at the time Britton was killed and continued to use marijuana.
Broomfield County District Judge Edward Moss said he was concerned about Cullip’s continued use of marijuana during the case and during his previous diversion opportunity. “The real reason this happened is that you were showing off for your friends and you were high, doing all the things the law told you not to, and Chad Britton lost his life.”