Teen, Clerk Plead Guilty In Fatal Drunken Driving Crash

GOLDEN, Colo. -- A high school junior accused of driving drunk and a liquor store clerk who sold her the alcohol both pleaded guilty Wednesday for their roles in a head-on crash that killed 17-year-old Samara Stricklen.

Nanette LaFleur, 18, has pleaded guilty to felony vehicular homicide -- driving under the influence and felony vehicular assault -- driving under the influence. LaFleur was behind the wheel in March 2007 when she crossed the double yellow line and slammed into another car, killing Stricklen and critically injuring Stricklen's friend, Seth Mutschler.

Although she was tried as an adult, as part of her plea agreement, LaFleur will spend four years in the youthful offender program. If she doesn't follow the rules of the program, she will be sent to prison, the judge said. She will be formally sentenced on July 9.

Prosecutors said LaFleur, who is now 18, had been drinking and smoking marijuana with friends on March 13, 2007 when she got behind the wheel of a car belonging to her friend Alison Bowen, who is now 17 years old.

Police initially arrested Bowen, who had claimed she was driving her parents' sport utility vehicle and lied to police. But Bowen actually switched places with LaFleur after the accident, police said.

"The Lakewood Police Department did a great job in this case. They worked closely with the grand jury throughout this process," said District Attorney Scott Storey. "These teens made this situation very difficult on the Stricklen and Mutschler families, as well as investigators, by not telling the truth up front. Ultimately, investigators had to use DNA from the driver's seat airbag to determine who was driving. Through the grand jury investigation we were eventually able to determine who was driving and Nanette LaFleur was indicted, charged as an adult."

Stricklen's parents said they are pleased to know that LaFleur is taking responsibility for her actions but that does little to bring their daughter back.

"Daily, we are still grieving. We miss our daughter. Every time we think about our daughter -- she was supposed to be graduating this month -- it's very difficult," said Bill Stricklen, through a translator. He and his wife are both hearing-impaired.

He said Bear Creek High School will give his daughter an honorary degree.

Van Thien Pham, an employee of Alameda Square Discount Liquor, also entered a guilty plea Wednesday in connection with the head-on collision.

Pham, 44, pleaded guilty to 10 misdemeanor counts of providing alcohol to a minor. Each count carries a potential jail sentence of up to 18 months and a fine up to $5,000.

He admitted selling liquor to the teens who were involved in a crash near Green Mountain High School.

Three other teens in the case were charged as minors illegally in possession of alcohol.

Bowen pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to influence a public servant and one count of driving under the influence on Dec. 3. She was sentenced in January to two years of intensive supervised probation with 45 days detention. As a condition of probation she has a 5 p.m. curfew, must perform 150 hours of community service, must go through a substance abuse evaluation and treatment if recommended and submit to random urinalysis.

Pham was also charged with additional sales to minors because during the course of the grand jury investigation, prosecutors learned that March 13, 2007 was not the only time Pham had sold liquor to minors. He had, in fact, previously sold liquor to the same teen that made the purchase on March 13, 2007, prosecutors said.

Pham will be sentenced on July 2. Alameda Square Liquors was owned by his wife.

Stricklen's friend, 20, was critically injured but has recovered.