A Lone Tree man will spend up to 18 years in prison for a fatal hit-and-run crash that left one woman dead. 

18th Judicial District Judge Ryan Stuart sentenced 40-year-old David Lucero to 18 years in prison Tuesday on charges of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and vehicular homicide-reckless driving following the hit-and-run crash on Oct. 23, 2022. 

Lone Tree police officers responded to a two-vehicle crash in the area of Lincoln Avenue and Park Meadows Drive around 6 a.m. on Oct. 23, 2022. Upon arrival, officers found a woman trapped in a sedan. She was taken to a nearby hospital where she died from her injuries, according to a press release from the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Investigators found, through witnesses and nearby security cameras, that a RAM pickup truck “ran a red light at a high rate of speed and crashed into the driver side of the sedan,” according to the press release. 

The truck — later identified as Lucero’s — fled the scene. 

Lucero initially told police that his truck was missing, but the man never filed a missing or stolen car report with nearby police departments. He later admitted to have been driving during the crash and pleaded guilty to the two charges.

Lucero then skipped the initially sentencing date on April 2, 2024. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was detained two days later, leading to the second sentencing date Tuesday. 

“Instead of calling for help or remaining on-scene until emergency personnel arrived, this defendant made the cowardly decision to run,” Deputy District Attorney Keegan Doheney said in the release. “He not only decided to flee that morning, but he also decided not to face justice on the day he was set to be sentenced.”