A Weld County woman faces charges of vehicular homicide after a Christmas Eve crash left an off-duty deputy dead.

The 19th Judicial District Attorney’s Office filed charges against 37-year-old Kayla Carroll in connection to the Dec. 24, 2023 crash that left 31-year-old Joshua Maloy — a deputy with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office — dead, according to a news release from the district attorney’s office.

Carroll was charged with five counts last week including one count of vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault, driving under restraint and displaying fictitious or altered license plates, according to the release.

The crash occurred near the intersection of County Road 49 and County Road 40 in Weld County on the evening of Dec. 24, according to a previous release by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. It was Maloy’s day off.

Carroll allegedly swerved into oncoming traffic and struck Maloy’s vehicle, leading to his death. Carroll was injured in the crash and her two children in the car were both injured. Both the mother and the children survived the crash.

Colorado State Patrol (CSP) investigated the crash and turned the investigation in to the district attorney’s office in July, according to Sgt. Patrick Rice.

“People sometimes feel nothing is being done in the meantime but the truth is, slowing down and making sure the case is complete and thorough and all the evidence has been processed is paramount to a successful prosecution,” Rice said of the nearly 11-month delay before charges were filed. “If these cases are rushed we risk destroying parts of the case and losing evidence that may be needed to best reconstruct the incident and ultimately secure a conviction when appropriate.”

Carroll was not arrested following the investigation and filing of charges, but was instead issued a court summons, according to the district attorney’s office.

Because the crash didn’t include drugs or alcohol, the charges were treated as low-level felonies, a spokesperson from the district attorney’s office told The Denver Gazette. Unless there’s a concern that the defendant is a flight risk — which Carroll was not — by statute, the defendants are issued a summons for their court appearance and aren’t arrested.

Maloy was an Adams County deputy for two years and nine months. He served nine-and-a-half years with the United States Marine Corps before becoming an officer.

Carroll is scheduled to appear in court for a hearing on Dec. 12.