A Colorado woman was slapped with the maximum sentence for a DUI crash that killed a motorcyclist — which she tried to pin on a “Mexican lady.”
Kalynn Settle, 30, rammed 41-year-old motorcyclist Aaron Barone while she was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol in a devastating crash in Grand Junction, Colorado in mid-June, The Daily Sentinel reported.
Barone succumbed to his life-threatening injuries at a hospital on July 4, 2025 — a grueling three weeks after the horrific crash.
In the immediate aftermath of the crash, Settle tried to point blame to a “Mexican lady that left” the scene, according to police body camera footage.
Settle told police that she was a registered nurse and pulled over to try and help Barone when she saw the Mexican driver plow into him.
The officers were suspicious and noted that the hood of Settle’s SUV was coated in “blood or human flesh,” as captured in the footage.
Inside of her battered car, they found an alcoholic beverage, and arrested her on suspicion of a DUI.
When the officers told Settle she was being arrested, she scoffed and responded, “Good luck with that.”
A blood test later confirmed that Settle was high on cocaine and alcohol at the time of the crash.
Authorities put out a warrant for Settle’s arrest on a laundry list of charges, ranging from DUI to vehicular homicide, according to a news release from the City of Grand Junction.
Settle turned herself in to Mesa County police in September.
On April 30, Settle received the maximum sentence. She previously pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide while driving while ability impaired and possession of a controlled substance.
Settle will serve six years for the vehicular homicide charge and one for the possession charge, the outlet reported.
The court ultimately sided with district prosecutors, who asked for the maximum sentence on account of Settle’s apparent apathy.
Prosecutor Joshua Dougherty said that Settle missed several drug tests during the pre-trial process, including one in March, which he claimed indicated she wasn’t taking the case seriously.
Settle’s attorney, Vince Felletter, insisted that she was taking responsibility by pleading guilty.
Even so, Settle sobbed her way through her sentencing.
“On that day, I made a choice I can never undo,” Settle said.
Felletter and Settle’s mother both explained that Settle struggled with addiction and had taken steps to get better.
Judge JenniLynne Lawrence, though, highlighted the repeated missed drug tests as an indication that Settle didn’t want to face the consequences of her actions, as reported by The Daily Sentinel.
“Mr. Barone lost his life. That can’t be given back,” Lawrence told Settle at her sentencing.
Barone was a jack-of-all-trades father who trained in anything from veterinary medicine to radio repair. A lifelong Coloradoan, he could often be found in nature, whether he was cruising on his bike or camping in the woods, according to his obituary.
Barone’s family praised him for defying “all odds” and clinging to life for an extra three weeks after the crash.
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