A Nebraska man pleaded guilty in the hit-and-run crash that killed a Parker bicyclist last summer.
Preston James Dorris, 36, pleaded guilty to three charges in the July 4, 2019, crash that killed Edward Charles “Chuck” Vogel.
Vogel was riding his bicycle southbound on Pine Drive in unincorporated Douglas County when he was hit from behind by a Kia Spectra driven by Dorris. The crash happened at 6:25 a.m. Mr. Vogel died the next day.
The Kia was found abandoned in Parker on July 5, 2019. Detectives traced the car through the registered owner to Dorris. Dorris was arrested outside Alliance, Neb., on July 12.
“This case literally hit close to home. My kids and I ride bikes in that area and on that road,” said District Attorney George Brauchler. “A homicidal act that was borne of pure selfishness and self-preservation ended with a first act of responsibility by the killer. Nothing he does in court, no sentence the judge can give, can bring back what has been taken so easily from the victim and community in this case. These are the most preventable homicides in our state … and yet they keep coming.”
On Feb. 25, 2019, Dorris pleaded guilty to:
• Leaving the scene of an accident involving death, a Class 3 felony
• Vehicular homicide – reckless driving, a Class 4 felony
• Careless Driving- — vulnerable road user, a traffic misdemeanor
Sentencing is set for April 17 at 9:00 a.m. before Douglas County District Court Judge Theresa Slade. The presumptive sentencing range is 4-18 years in the Department of Corrections.
