GOLDEN, Colo. (Mar. 2, 2026) – John David Bormolini has been sentenced to six years in the Department of Corrections for a high-speed reckless driving crash that killed Wheat Ridge business owner Nate Oettinger and critically injured his passenger, Dennis Dillman.
On the morning of December 23, 2024, the Colorado State Patrol and Wheat Ridge Police Department responded to a crash at the intersection of W. 44th Ave. and Kipling St. in Wheat Ridge.
Oettinger was driving a Dodge Ram pickup truck and had just left a hardware store with customer Dennis Dillman when they stopped at a light to make a turn. Their truck was rear-ended by Bormolini’s Toyota pickup.
Oettinger died in the crash. Dillman suffered multiple spinal fractures, nerve damage, lacerations to the head, and a brain bleed.
The Wheat Ridge Police Department’s crash investigation determined that Bormolini had been weaving through traffic and driving at least 78 mph in a 40-mph zone at the time of the collision.
Although Bormolini claimed he experienced a medical event, prosecutors argued the evidence did not support that explanation. Investigators learned Bormolini had suffered a seizure the previous month and had been diagnosed with alcohol-withdrawal seizures. Despite medical advice following that incident, he continued driving. Toxicology results also showed Bormolini was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash.
On December 5, 2025, Bormolini pleaded guilty to the top counts of Reckless Vehicular Homicide and Vehicular Assault. As a result, the court had discretion to impose either a community-based sentence (Intensive Community Corrections Supervision (ICCS)) or a prison sentence of up to six years in the Department of Corrections.
At sentencing on February 27, 2026, Deputy District Attorney Holly Spease argued that the evidence showed Bormolini “weaving through lanes, accelerating into a turn, and flying through traffic with complete disregard for anyone else on the road.”
Spease further argued that Bormolini’s actions demonstrated recklessness, not a sudden medical episode, pointing to evidence that he had been actively navigating traffic moments before the collision.
Asking for the maximum sentence, Spease told the court:
“This was not an unavoidable accident. This was the direct result of the defendant’s reckless decisions behind the wheel, taking the life of one community member and seriously injuring another. A prison sentence is essential to protect the public and to affirm that these actions demand accountability.”
District Court Judge Philip McNulty ultimately agreed, emphasizing that Bormolini had experienced a seizure the month before the crash and had been advised to seek medical care and avoid driving. The court found the decision to drive under those circumstances, regardless of whether the crash involved a medical episode or impairment, demonstrated a disregard for public safety that led to a tragic outcome.
Bormolini was sentenced to the maximum of six years in the Department of Corrections.
Oettinger was described by loved ones as kind, humble, thoughtful, and always eager to help others. He owned Auto Weave Upholstery in Wheat Ridge and was known as a dedicated and hardworking businessman who often joked that his 12-hour workdays were “half days.”
“I want to thank our Crash and Traffic Team investigators who worked meticulously on this case,” said Wheat Ridge Police Chief Chris Murtha. “Our hearts go out to the families, friends, and community members impacted by this crash. This case reinforces our mission to make Wheat Ridge roads safer and sends a clear message that reckless driving in our community will have serious consequences.”
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