Man pleads guilty to fatal Boulder crash and sentenced to less than a year in prison

A man accepted a plea deal and was sentenced Monday to three years in prison with 844 days credit for time served. He killed Erik Shephard in 2022 while driving on US 36 in North Boulder.

David Blattner, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of vehicular homicide resulting from reckless driving. All other charges, including reckless driving, driving on the wrong side of the highway and driving under control, were dismissed.

According to an affidavit, on Jan. 20, 2022, Blattner was driving west on U.S. 36 at mile marker 32, just north of Boulder, when an Audi A4 crossed the center line and struck Shepard’s Honda head-on.

Emergency dispatchers and witnesses who stopped by the crash told police that Blattner appeared drunk and that investigators found seven empty alcohol dispensers in his car.

Blattner told investigators he reached for a lighter and did not see the other vehicle, according to the affidavit.

Blatter said he used methamphetamine for several days before the crash, which sometimes affected his ability to drive. He couldn’t remember whether he drank or not.

A toxicology report detected traces of methamphetamine and THC in his system, but no alcohol, according to the affidavit.