The sentencing of a man in a Castle Rock DUI vehicular homicide case left a grieving family seeking more justice and prompted the 23rd Judicial District Attorney to call for stronger punishments for DUI-related fatal crashes.

Douglas County District Judge Elizabeth Volz sentenced Samuel Robert Michael, 28, on Monday to four years in prison after a Feb. 22 crash that killed Kraig Kazda, 69. He died in the hospital 55 days later.

Michael pleaded guilty to all counts on vehicular homicide and DUI charges. His attorneys requested probation, arguing he had no criminal history. Prosecutors requested the maximum 12-year prison sentence.

On Feb. 22, at around 10:35 p.m., Castle Rock Police Department officers responded to North Wilcox and First Street, where they found a man and woman suffering from injuries sustained in an auto-pedestrian crash involving a Ford F-150.

Kazda sustained a serious brain injury and rib fractures. His wife, Michelle Kazda, suffered cuts to her head and was released from the hospital after receiving staples to her head.

At the crash scene, authorities said officers smelled a strong odor of alcohol and slurred speech from Michael. Subsequent blood tests showed a BAC of .13, well above the legal limit.

At the scene, Michael declined to answer further questions, including whether he drank alcohol earlier, according to his arrest affidavit.

During two hours of emotional testimony Monday, both the families of Michael and Kazda spoke.

Michaels’ parents said that, since the crash, he locked himself in his room 23 hours a day, only to come out for the bathroom and meals. Michael’s parents and attorneys insisted he isn’t a recurring offender and felt horrible for what happened.

Michael apologized during his testimony.

“There are no words or actions I can say or do to amount to the pain and misery,” Michael said in court, looking at Kazda’s family. “I take full responsibility and accountability for my actions. The only reason I am here today is to provide the justice they need.”

The family, however, didn’t think the judge dispenced enough justice.

Kazda’s grandchildren, daughter, son-in-law and wife, Michelle, spoke.

“He never got to be the Kraig I knew and married to for 51 years,” she said of life after the crash.

After 55 days in the hospital, she said, “we chose to let him go.. He was my first and only love.”

Kraig and Michelle Kozda moved from Montana to Castle Rock to be closer to their grandchildren.

Castle Rock police officers who responded to the crash also spoke during testimonies, pleading for harsher sentences on DUI-related incidents.

Kazda’s son-in-law Burtel Bailey condemned the judge’s sentence.

“I’m absolutely shocked at the sentence,” Bailey said. “I think it’s extremely light and goes to show why the DUI laws are not followed because there’s no real consequence to the action of drinking and driving and specifically, apparently, drinking and killing someone.”

In July, a 23rd Judicial District judge sentenced Paul Stephenson, 57, to life in prison for a DUI crash that killed Lt. Col. Matt Anderson, 39, at a Castle Rock 7-Eleven in August 2024. Stephenson was also charged with first-degree murder in the case.

23rd Judicial District District Attorney George Brauchler called upon Colorado lawmakers to consider harsher DUI penalties.

“It is an incredibly and deliberately weak law that if you drive drunk and kill someone, you can walk out of court on probation,” Brauchler said.

“I’m taken with the fact that this was a love affair that began in their teens. And it ended on the streets of Castle Rock,” the DA said.