Fort Collins man sentenced to prison for DUI crash that killed 1, seriously injured another
A Fort Collins man has been sentenced to prison for a driving under the influence and crashing into another vehicle at a high speed, killing the driver and seriously injuring the passenger.
Alana Thomas, 34, died from her injuries at the hospital five days after the "violent" crash in the 7000 block of North Garfield Avenue in Loveland just before midnight Feb. 26, police said in a news release at the time. Another woman was hospitalized with critical injuries but survived.
Benjamin Eisenberg, now 27, pleaded guilty to all six charges against him in August:
DUI-related vehicular homicide, a Class 3 felony
Reckless-driving-related vehicular homicide, a Class 4 felony
DUI-related vehicular assault, a Class 4 felony
Vehicular assault resulting from reckless driving, a Class 5 felony
Driving under the influence, an unclassified misdemeanor
Reckless driving, a Class 2 traffic offense
In an emotional court hearing Friday, Judge Daniel McDonald sentenced Eisenberg to 12 years in prison for the vehicular homicide of Thomas and an additional six years in prison for the vehicular assault of the passenger, who was Thomas's good friend. Those sentences will run consecutive to each other, for a total of 18 years in the Department of Corrections.
"What you did is horrific," McDonald said to Eisenberg. "... The pain you have caused is irreparable."
The passenger who was injured in the crash told the judge this incident not only cost her a good friend, but the traumatic brain injury she sustained from the crash will negatively impact her the rest of her life.
"I still can't believe we were in the same car and I'm here and she's not," she said.
She was so severely injured after the crash that she couldn't move without assistance from her husband, and even when she did move she felt severe pain and nausea, she told the judge. Her injuries were so severe she was unable to travel to Denver to say goodbye to Thomas when her family decided to take her off of life support. She and her husband had to record a voice memo to say goodbye instead, and Thomas's husband played it for her.
"That's one of the worst things I've ever heard," McDonald said.
She said their last conversation while driving back home from a girls night at a friend's house was about how Thomas didn't like hugging in social situations because it made her uncomfortable, and her friend promised not to hug her again unless she asked for one — a promise she said she is "heartbroken" to be able to keep now.
She isn't just living with grief, but with a traumatic brain injury that continues to make it impossible to live the life she used to, she told McDonald. She's sensitive to light and sound, has trouble multitasking, and can't do things like video call or talk on the phone with her family members in Australia for more than a few minutes. Her brain sends incorrect signals to her heart when she moves around, causing her increased exhaustion in addition to her daily and weekly occupational and physical therapy demands. She has also been diagnosed with PTSD.
"I'm so frustrated and angry," she said. "None of this is my fault."
Family and friends of both victims shared with the judge what else they lost because of Eisenberg's decision to drink and drive. The husband of the woman who survived said his wife's "light isn’t what it used to be, her fire isn't as hot and her soul isn’t as bright.”
Thomas's husband said in a written statement − it was read by a friend because his grief made it impossible to attend − that he's had trouble accepting "this devastating reality of living without her."
"I have never met anyone who loved me like Alana did," he said.
The two had a small wedding because of the COVID-19 pandemic and were planning on a larger one later in 2022. They were looking at buying a house and had future plans to travel and have children.
"There are futures that will never happen now, there are children who will never be born," because of Eisenberg's actions, McDonald said.
Eisenberg was driving between 111 and 133 mph when he hit Thomas's vehicle, according to the prosecution. His blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit about three hours after the crash.
Eisenberg told the court he deeply regrets the decisions he made and the pain he caused that day. He had a problem with alcohol at the time and drank excessively during the day of the crash. His defense attorney said Eisenberg has always expressed remorse and a desire to take full accountability for his actions.
"I've thought every single day I wish I could trade my life for hers," Eisenberg said. "I've always wanted to use my life to lift people up, not to destroy lives."
Eisenberg, who was out on bond at the time of his sentencing, was taken into custody immediately after Friday's hearing. Because of the nature of the case, McDonald ordered Eisenberg to pay restitution to the victims on an ongoing basis.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins man sentenced to prison in fatal Loveland DUI crash
