Prosecutors have offered a plea deal to a man accused in the death of Travis Beeson who was fatally injured in a motorcycle crash May 25 in Cortez.
According to a police arrest affidavit, Gabrielle D. Doctor, of Kayenta, Arizona, was driving a red Subaru when he attempted to take a left from Main Street onto South Sligo Street and collided with Beeson, 20.
Beeson, who was wearing a helmet, was thrown off his bike and was treated by bystanders and EMTs with the Cortez Fire Protection District.
He was taken to Southwest Memorial, then airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction where he died from his injuries May 27.
Doctor was charged with vehicular homicide, operating an uninsured vehicle, careless driving, driving under the influence, child abuse and failing to provide child restraint.
During a court hearing Thursday at Montezuma County Court, District Attorney Matt Margeson informed the court a preliminary plea deal stipulates Doctor would be sentenced to a six-year jail term if he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, a Class 4 felony. The other charges would be dismissed.
The sentence would be capped at six years if Doctor agrees to the deal, which is the maximum sentence for the charge.
Doctor, 25, has not yet agreed to the plea deal, and his public defender, Jonathan Jourdane, said he intends to further negotiate with the district attorney regarding the plea offer. Doctor waived his right to a preliminary hearing.
The case was bound up to District Court. The next court hearing is Oct. 18 for arraignment.
According to the arrest affidavit, Patrol Sgt. Glenn Edwards detected a “strong odor” of alcohol on Doctor’s breath during the crash investigation. Doctor did not perform roadside sobriety maneuvers satisfactorily.
A breath test indicated Doctor had a blood-alcohol content of 0.093. A BAC higher than 0.08 is considered driving under the influence in Colorado.
Doctor’s sister and a 6-year-old were in his car, the affidavit said. The child was not secured in an approved child restraint system, only a regular seat belt, the report says. Doctor said the vehicle was not insured.
He told officers he had not been drinking alcohol that day, but had been the previous night. He remains in custody on a $50,000 bond.
According to an obituary from Ertel Funeral Home, Beeson was born in Tucson, Arizona. His family soon moved to Midland, Texas, and then to Cortez when he was in eighth grade. He graduated from Montezuma-Cortez High School in 2020.
Beeson was a two-sport athlete for Montezuma-Cortez High School, playing both basketball and baseball. A catcher, Beeson was known for encouraging his teammates and having a positive attitude.
He also was known as an avid hunter and fisherman who loved to ride dirt bikes with friends in Cortez, Farmington and Montrose.
Beeson was employed at Safeway as a manager of online services and was loved by co-workers and customers, the obituary said.
