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Top 5 stories on SummitDaily.com, week of Jan. 12

A volunteer performs field sobriety tests with Sergeant Mark Gafari and Deputy Steve Maes of the Summit County SheriffÕs Office during a simulated DUI traffic stop on Jan. 8, in Breckenridge.
Liz Copan / ecopan@summitdaily.com

Editor’s note: Stories in this list received the most page views on SummitDaily.com for the past week.

1. Keystone Resort defends safety protocols after snowboarder questions disciplinary action

Johnathan Buckhouse, a YouTube personality who creates videos about snowboarding, posted two videos about an incident at Keystone Resort that received 216,000 views within three days. The videos show Buckhouse snowboarding with three of his friends on Keystone’s Schoolmarm beginner run.

The group was asked to slow down and later was stopped by members of Keystone’s mountain safety team. The snowboarders were asked to take a safety course within two weeks as a requirement of keeping their season pass privileges. Buckhouse made the videos to refute the claims of mountain safety staff and gather public opinion on the incident.



Keystone spokeswoman Loryn Roberson said the resort would not comment on a specific passholder incident, but emphasized that in a beginner area, skiers and snowboarders are expected to ride at a speed that makes beginners around them feel safe.

Taylor Sienkiewicz



2. Suspect identified in Breckenridge stabbing

The man arrested following a stabbing last week in Breckenridge was identified as 38-year-old Carlton George Findley, according to an arrest affidavit of the incident.

Witnesses claimed Findley, a Beaver Run employee, was responsible for stabbing a co-worker. The victim, a 40-year-old man, suffered multiple stab wounds to the back of the head along with injuries to his hands, according to the report. The victim was transferred in stable condition a hospital in Lakewood, and the next day, a spokesperson said the man was no longer admitted to the hospital and that it was possible he was treated and released.

Findley was booked into the Summit County Detention Facility on charges of attempted murder and felony menacing.

Sawyer D’Argonne

3. Silverthorne pushes CDOT to act on Exit 205 bottleneck, looks for temporary traffic relief

In 2010, the Colorado Department of Transportation began a study on Exit 205, the Interstate 70 exit for Silverthorne, Dillon and Keystone. The study was completed in 2011, concluding that a “diverging diamond” interchange would be the most efficient and cost-effective option. 

After the study was completed, the project was put on hold when CDOT prioritized the widening of the Twin Tunnels near Idaho Springs. The Exit 205 project was supposed to be picked up again two years later, but nine years later, there still isn’t a clear timeline for when the project would be completed. 

That project, plus Summit County’s other problematic exit, Exit 203 to Frisco and Breckenridge, will cost an estimated $70 million. 

A group working on the issue discussed temporary solutions to mediate issues associated with the Exit 205 interchange, including giving people more green-light time to turn onto the eastbound on-ramp by manipulating the traffic lights. While officials are having talks with CDOT, Silverthorne is updating its transportation plan to alleviate traffic in town however possible.

Taylor Sienkiewicz

4. Woman accused in fatal Colorado Highway 9 crash pleads not guilty; trial date set for June

Lindsey Leigh Ward, 31, the woman who allegedly caused a fatal crash on Colorado Highway 9 while driving drunk last summer, has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

At an arraignment hearing last week in district court at the Summit County Justice Center, Ward entered pleas of not guilty on four charges of vehicular homicide stemming from a crash in August that killed Colorado couple Benjamin Mitton, 41, and Nichole Gough, 43.

Chief Judge Mark Thompson set the dates for a weeklong trial from June 22-26. Ward is next scheduled to appear in court for a motions hearing April 28.

5. Anatomy of a DUI: What happens when you get pulled over?

The Fifth Judicial District — which includes Summit County — reports the second highest rate of DUIs per capita in the state. This article, part of a Summit Daily series exploring DUIs, explores the potential consequences of a DUI offense and what to expect if you get pulled over for the offense.

Impaired driving arrests are largely based around three factors, with the first being the reason a traffic stop was initiated in the first place. The second factor is observations during the “personal contact” phase, in which an officer will try to determine if the abnormal driving behavior may be related to substance use. If an officer feels inebriation might be a contributor to the strange driving behavior, the driver will be asked to complete a standard field sobriety test.

If the driver is taken into custody, they’ll be asked to submit to their choice of a chemical blood or breath test under the state’s express consent law.

Driving under the influence charges are typically misdemeanor offenses, but can rise to the level of a felony for individuals with three prior convictions. By Colorado statute, the possible penalties for a DUI offense typically include five days to a year in jail (not mandatory), a $600 to $1,000 fine, 48-96 hours of useful public service, an alcohol evaluation, DUI classes and treatment, and the likely suspension of the driver’s license along with court fees. 

Sawyer D’Argonne


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