Colorado v. Nicholas Pfeifer "Fatal Car Accident Retrial" Ethan Wolf's parents refuse to refer to the collision that killed their son as a "car accident." Marsha Willis and Doug Wolf believe the car wreck was preventable and that the driver allegedly responsible for the collision, Nicholas Pfeifer should not have been driving on April 23, 1996. Despite the hung jury in the Pfeifer's first trial, Ethan Wolf's parents say they are determined to make sure the defendant will never kill anyone with his reckless driving again. Nicholas Pfeifer's truck was cut in two in the accident. Wolf's vehicle fared even worse. At the time of the crash, Pfeifer recently had recovered from a broken leg, an injury he had suffered in another head-on collision. Pfeifer also had a sketchy driving record. He had two other driving convictions on his record, for speeding and for driving an unsafe vehicle. (Both were the results of plea bargains from reckless driving and careless driving charges, respectively.) Because of these convictions, Pfeifer's license was temporarily suspended between 1994 and 1995. The collision between Wolf and Pfeifer occurred on Delbert Road, the dividing line between Colorado's Delbert and Douglas Counties. Wolf, who worked for a satellite dish company and was on his way to see a customer, was traveling southbound and had initiated a left-hand turn onto Pearson Ranch Loop, which led into housing development. As Wolf made his turn, Pfeifer was approaching northbound on Delbert Road. Ethan Wolf died when his Mazda was struck by Pfeifer's truck. The two cars collided, splitting Wolf's truck in two, sending it careening approximately 210 feet down the road. Pfeifer's car skidded about 86 feet. Wolf died from massive head and internal injuries and blunt force trauma. Pfeifer broke two femurs, his left knee, his right arm, and severed a nerve in his hand. He spent about two-and-a-half months in the hospital. Prosecutors say that Pfeifer's speeding and the extremely dangerous intersection caused the crash. State experts say Pfeifer drove between 76 and 87 mph in a 40 mph zone. (The defense concedes he was driving between 70 and 75 mph.) Delbert Road is extremely hilly. At the point of the turn into the Pearson Ranch development, there is a potential blindspot for cars traveling southbound that could obscure drivers' ability to see northbound cars. But the defense suggests that another factor led to the crash. Pfeifer claims Wolf initiated his turn prematurely and was on the wrong side of the road when he hit him. Prosecutors deny this. Wolf's parents acknowledge the hazards posed by Delbert Road, but argue that the crash occurred because of Pfeifer's reckless driving. Since the fatal collision, the speed limit at the site has been reduced from 40 to 30 mph, and a sign bearing a "no left turn" icon has been erected. A cross also stands at the intersection in Wolf's memory. The victim's parents had a road in the Pearson Ranch development named "Ethan Court" in their son's memory. Marsha Willis and Doug Wolf have channeled their grief into a campaign to raise public awareness of the dangers of reckless driving. They have started the "Ethan Foundation," a charitable and educational organization to elevate awareness and consciousness regarding reckless driving, particularly among teens. Prosecutors wanted to introduce evidence of similar reckless driving incidents to show Pfeifer's driving patterns, but their motion was denied. Pfeifer's license is currently revoked for illegal purchase and possession of alcohol. With the jury deadlocked 11-to-1 in favor of conviction at his first trial, Pfeifer narrowly avoided being sent to prison for criminal negligent homicide. The Verdict and Sentence Nicholas Pfeifer was convicted of criminally negligent homicide after only about two-and-a-half hours of jury deliberations. On Oct. 26, he was sentenced to the maximum six years in prison. — Bryan Robinson Reported by Court TV's Laurie Gindin top of page