Cody Mallett, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to reckless driving and DUI charges after reportedly hitting hit four cars and the Sligo Wall last year in Cortez. He now faces a jury trial in June.
Mallett appeared in court via Webex from his home state of Arizona. He is out on bond, according to District Attorney Jeremy Reed.
Montezuma County Judge Ian MacLaren set Mallett’s pretrial conference for June 17 at 3 p.m. The trial is expected to run June 25 at 3 p.m. and June 26 at 8:30 a.m.
The crash that damaged the wall at Shiloh Steakhouse, 5 S. Veach St., occurred May 9.
According to the Cortez Police Department, Mallett hit the driver’s side of a vehicle while driving west in the 2000 block of Main Street. His vehicle then went “airborne” in the parking lot of LivWell Marijuana Dispensary and maintained an uncontrolled path into the Shiloh parking lot.
He then hit the restaurant’s access ramp and went airborne again, nearly hitting two bystanders, police reports said. He hit three parked vehicles in the lot, then hit the brick retaining wall on the west side of the restaurant.
Mallett reportedly told police that he had passed out and didn’t wake up until he had collided with Sligo Wall.
Open marijuana and open alcohol containers were found in Mallett’s vehicle. The Arizona resident was cited with driving under the influence of drugs, reckless driving, and open alcohol and marijuana containers in a motor vehicle.
The wall’s construction started Oct. 21 and was finished late last year.
