Driver in fatal U.S. 285 accident gets 34-year sentence

The Denver man accused of driving under the influence and killing a 53-year-old motorcyclist in August 2017 will spend 34 years in prison.

Ian Fitzgerald O’Connor, 33, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, tampering with evidence and driving under the influence on Feb. 20. He received his sentence during a hearing on Friday.

O’Connor was arrested on Aug. 29, 2017, in connection with the death of Wheat Ridge resident Paul Dacko, who was riding north on U.S. 285 when O’Connor’s car collided with Dacko’s motorcycle.

During an emotional sentencing hearing that lasted more than three hours, Judge Laura Tighe heard from a number of people, including Dacko’s children and a number of O’Connor’s friends and family members.

Read more here: www.canyoncourier.com/content/driver-fat...ets-34-year-sentence
By Deborah Swearingen
Tuesday, April 2, 2019