Brighton man charged with vehicular homicide after death of mother, son

The Adams County district attorney charged a Brighton man with two counts of vehicular homicide and a fourth DUI following a December crash that left a mother and her teenage son dead.

37-year-old Jose Menjivar was released from a hospital and booked into the Broomfield County jail following a fatal crash on Dec. 11 that took the life of 46-year-old Melissa Powell and her son, 16-year-old Riordan Powell.

Along with the two charges of vehicular homicide, the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office has charged Menjivar with a fourth or subsequent driving under the influence charge and a fourth or subsequent driving under the influence per se charge — both felonies.

The crash occurred at the intersection of Main Street and Miramonte Boulevard around 1:30 p.m. on Dec. 11, according to a social media post on the department’s official account. Menjivar is accused of driving the 2000 Toyota Tundra that slammed into the Powells’ 2016 Mazda CX-5, killing the mother and son.

The GoFundMe for the victims has raised more than $39,000 in over a week. 

“An immeasurable void has been left in our family and communities and the world feels less bright without them,” Kim Powell, Melissa’s sister-in-law, told The Denver Gazette.

“We are overwhelmed with the outpouring of support during this difficult time of year, in which our family has sustained so much loss and ask for privacy, to allow us to grieve,” she said.

Menjivar is facing a minimum of 4 years of probation, though a maximum sentence could reach up to 36 years in prison if he’s convicted of the most serious charges. 



Welcome Back.

Streak: 9 days i

Stories you've missed since your last login:

Stories you've saved for later:

Recommended stories based on your interests:

Edit my interests