Boulder County, Colo. -In 2024, Colorado lost 686 lives to traffic fatalities. This includes 210 lives lost to impaired driving, a 7.5% decrease from the 227 impaired driving-related fatalities in 2023. According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Crime Statistics, there were 16,196 DUI cases filed in 2024. But there is no data on how many lives we can, and will, prevent from being ruined if we eliminate impaired driving on our roads.

The District Attorney’s Office strongly supports the efforts of parents and community members to eliminate impaired driving, including for Prom Night and graduation parties. The DA’s Office has been working with After Prom, an organization created by concerned parents and administrators after a series of tragic alcohol- and drug-related crashes claimed the lives of eleven (11) Denver/Boulder Metro area teens in 1995 and reinstated after the tragic deaths on Boulder’s Prom Night in 2022.

After Prom provides a community sponsored, fun evening following the Boulder High School and Fairview High School Proms. The goal is to provide students a safe and memorable night, without putting themselves and community members at risk of life-altering incidents. Interested community members can learn more: https://fhsbhsafterprom.org/. District Attorney Dougherty presented to their parent group again on April 9, 2025.

Although current law in Colorado provides a very limited sentencing range for juveniles who drive under the influence and cause the death of another person, it is a life-altering event for the juvenile driver, their victims, and the loved ones.

For that reason, following the fatal crash that ended two lives on Prom Night in 2022, the District Attorney’s Office investigated and prosecuted the adults who were responsible for facilitating the drinking of alcohol by the juvenile, including the two companies that sold fake identification to numerous high school students, the liquor store that regularly sold alcohol to underage persons, the driver of the party bus that allowed students to drink on the party bus, and several parents who aided in underage persons drinking alcohol on Prom Night.

With any traffic fatality involving an impaired juvenile, Boulder County law enforcement and the District Attorney’s Office are committed to investigating and prosecuting the adults who made it possible for the young person to drive under the influence. Adults who aid or abet a juvenile drinking alcohol will be charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, CRS 18-6-701, and Providing Alcohol to Minors, CRS 44-3-901.

The following are some safety reminders for kids and adults:

• Choose not to consume alcohol or drugs
• Plan ahead to keep yourself and our community safe
• Attend the After Prom celebration to have fun and stay safe
• Determine who will be the designated driver
• Forfeit car keys before you start drinking alcohol
• Consider downloading the Lyft or Uber app before you go
• Empower teens not to get into a car with someone else who is impaired
• If you see a driver with erratic, unsafe driving, call 911 or *CSP

District Attorney Michael Dougherty stated, “Too many lives are wrecked by impaired drivers. For teenage drivers, these celebrations are supposed to be life memories, not life ending. Adults have an important role and responsibility in keeping teenage drivers, their friends, and other people safe on our roads. When a parent chooses to make alcohol available to a teenaged driver, that reckless choice will have consequences. I strongly support After Prom parents, the schools, and law enforcement in providing safe environments for celebrations for teenagers – and for every driver’s safety.”

“We’re grateful to the District Attorney’s Office, community sponsors and local families for making After Prom possible,” said Robyn Savage, Co-President, FHS BHS After Prom. “This volunteer-led event offers peace of mind to families and gives students a fun, memorable way to continue Prom night—with great local food, games, prizes, and a safe ride home.”

"Celebrating safely is a shared responsibility between children and their parents and is such an important part to creating happy memories that can be shared for a lifetime," said Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn. "It is our goal to keep people safe, so again this year we will be deploying additional officers specifically to look for impaired drivers. Everyone wants to get home at the end of a great evening, we can all do that by making responsible and safe choices."