Cheyenne Man Gets 3-5 Years for DUI Crash That Injured Driver

A 26-year-old Cheyenne man was sentenced Wednesday in Laramie County District Court to three to five years in prison for a 2024 DUI crash in which he intentionally collided with an SUV, seriously injuring the driver.

RELATED: Cheyenne Man Says SUV Tried to Cut Him Off, So He Did PIT Maneuver

Case Background

According to arrest records, police were called to the scene at North College Drive and Carla Drive around 10:30 p.m. on May 17, 2024, and arrived to find a red Dodge Ram and a silver Nissan Pathfinder with extensive damage.

Police say the vehicles collided with three power poles, a power box, two fences, and a shed, causing an estimated $55,000 in damage and resulting in power outages in the area.

Police say the driver of the pickup, Noel Gomez, had alcohol on his breath, poor balance, slurred speech, and glassy eyes, and told them that the driver of the SUV had tried to cut him off.

Police say Gomez's vehicle registration expired in April 2023, he had a THC vape pen in his pocket, and there was an open container of alcohol in his pickup.

Gomez was run through the three standard field sobriety tests, which police say indicated a blood alcohol concentration of more than .08%, handcuffed, and taken to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center for medical clearance and a blood draw.

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'I Wasn't Gonna Let Him Cut Me Off'

Police say later at the hospital, Gomez said, "Someone tried to cut me off and I wasn't gonna stop, like the thing cops do," and then began to explain a PIT maneuver.

Gomez then reportedly said, "I wasn't gonna let him cut me off."

Police say Gomez told them he was going approximately 50 to 55 mph in a 40 mph zone when he intentionally collided with the SUV.

Police say the driver of the SUV was seriously injured in the crash and was taken to the hospital for emergency surgery and then taken to Colorado for additional surgery.

Plea Agreement

Gomez was initially charged with three misdemeanors, including DUI, possession of marijuana, and expired or improper registration, and two felonies, including aggravated assault and battery - serious bodily injury and property destruction.

But Laramie County District Attorney Sylvia Hackl says the victim wanted Gomez to be in a position to pay restitution rather than go to prison, so a plea agreement was reached where Gomez agreed to plead guilty to DUI with serious bodily injury.

She says neither side recommended prison time, but Judge Peter H. Froelicher didn't go along with their recommendations.