Texas man with prior DUI pleads guilty to fatal crash in Colorado

HUERFANO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – A man with two convictions in Texas has pleaded guilty to killing a man in a hit-and-run crash in Colorado.

The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) shared details of the case with the public on Friday. According to CSP, the 3rd Judicial Circuit announced they reached a plea agreement earlier this month with Michael Estrada. Estrada pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder with violence. Estrada was convicted of two other felonies in Texas, and will now be sentenced for two more felonies in Colorado and one more for an arrest in January.

Estrada is expected to be sentenced on Dec. 19 and will serve a sentence of 20 years in state prison, followed by five years of mandatory parole after serving a minimum of 15 years.

The crash happened March 9 at 2:50 p.m. along Colorado Highway 12 at mile marker 13 in Huerfano County.

“The crash involved a 2013 GMC Sierra driven by the suspect, Michael Estrada, and a 1999 Jeep Wrangler driven by the victim, Brandon Beach,” CSP said in a news release. “Estrada was traveling between 89 and 93 mph in a 45 mph zone and struck Beach at approximately 66 mph. When officers arrived at the scene, Beach was found dead from various injuries related to the accident.”

“The accident that took this man’s life and changed an entire family forever was not just a drunk driving accident; it was a homicide,” said Trooper Yoder of the Colorado State Patrol’s Traffic Crimes Unit. “Changing attitudes and thinking is the community’s best hope for reducing drunk driving. If more people saw drunk driving as a deliberate and dangerous act, fewer families would mourn these senseless losses.”

During the investigation, the police suspected that Estrada was under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Estrada was arrested and found to have a BAC of 0.134 and 4 ng of marijuana.

“On behalf of the victim’s family, we are grateful that we were able to convict a man who has four previous convictions for a crime committed by the DNS of murder,” said Deputy District Attorney Nick Dale, who prosecuted the case. He added, “The District Attorney’s Office appreciates the tireless efforts of the Colorado State Patrol in this case and sincerely appreciates the support of the victim’s family in reaching this agreement as they grieve the loss of their loved one to this senseless act of murder.”