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Father, son plead not guilty in double-fatal Lakewood crash

A father and son appeared in a Jefferson County district court Monday morning, four months after an alleged street race crash led to the death of two bystanders.

Gregory Mark Giles, 65, and his 27-year-old son Bryce Anneaus Giles each pleaded not guilty to five charges — including vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving — in front of First Judicial District Judge Diego Hunt Monday morning, leading to a joint trial later this year.

The charges stemmed from the crash that occurred around 9 p.m. Nov. 13 at the intersection of South Kipling Parkway and West Mississippi Avenue in Lakewood.

Both men were driving Ford SUVs northbound on South Kipling Parkway going over 90 mph, according to the arrest affidavits.

A witness claimed the two were driving “crazy,” according to arrest records.

A Toyota 4Runner then attempted to turn off of South Kipling onto West Mississippi Avenue and was struck on the passenger side by Gregory Giles. Bryce Giles then struck Gregory Giles’ vehicle.

Five people were taken to the hospital, with 26-year-old Demi Iglesias and 28-year-old Dalton Smith both dying from their injuries.

Both of the defendants admitted to having drunk alcohol. A blood alcohol draw was done on Gregory Giles at the hospital, but the content level was not listed in the arrest records.

Bryce Giles’ brother, who was a passenger in Gregory Giles’ car, said he thought his brother had “had a lot” of alcohol before driving, according to the affidavit.

The two suspects turned themselves in to police on Nov. 24, nearly a week-and-a-half after the crash.

“Our daughter cannot return to us. She cannot pursue her dreams and her career because of the actions of two individuals that night,” Alina Iglesias, Demi Iglesias’ mother, told the court, adding that both of the victims were friends and pursuing careers in engineering.

“This was not an accident. I will not refer to this as an accident,” she said. “Shame on the father for setting that kind of example for the son. But shame on the son, too. He should have known better.”

Both defendants remain in jail on $250,000 cash-only bonds. Bryce Giles’ bond was not reduced, despite his defense lawyer, Matthew Giacomini, asking for a reduced amount.

Giacomini said that Bryce Giles had not had a criminal history, other than a drunk-driving incident when he was underage, and that he was not a threat to the community. He was also not the one suspected of hitting and killing the victims.

The victims’ families pleaded to keep the bond at the current amount, and Hunt ultimately agreed.

The two will stand trial together over four days starting on July 28, unless a plea deal is struck beforehand.

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