Lone Tree
Voice
Douglas County, Colorado • Volume 11, Issue 43
November 8, 2012 A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourlonetreenews.com
Woman arrested in fatal C-470 crash Police say driver fled accident scene, reported car stolen By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com The young woman arrested in a Nov. 1 fatal crash in Lone Tree told police her car was stolen, but witness testimony and a
videotape from a Parkerarea 7-Eleven tell a different story. Police evidence suggests that a Halloweencostumed Erin Finn, 20, of Lakewood, fled the scene with a witness at the accident site, then called Finn another woman for a ride home and later reported that the car she was driving had been stolen. Dennis Dolce, 51, of unincorporated
Jefferson County, was killed when the car Finn was driving crossed the median on C-470 and smashed into his SUV, authorities said. Finn was charged with vehicular homicide and is being held in the Douglas County Jail for her suspected role in the early morning crash that killed Dolce. Authorities say a white Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Finn was westbound on C-470 about 3 a.m. when she lost control, crossed into the eastbound lanes just west of Interstate 25, and collided head-
on with the Ford Escape driven by Dolce. Dolce died of blunt force trauma, according to a coroner’s report. Another driver, who stopped at the accident site and called 911 to report it, told police that a woman at the scene approached him and said, “I need to get out of here.” She was wearing a black Halloween costume, and her face was painted white with a red, bloody-looking area on her left forehead, he told police. She asked the man for a ride, and he Crash continues on Page 22
Gardner garners District 4 victory District now includes most of Douglas County Staff report Republican Cory Gardner will be the new representative in the U.S. House for Lone Tree and much of Douglas County. Gardner, the incumbent in the 4th Congressional District, defeated Democrat Brandon Shaffer roughly 59 percent to 37 percent in the Nov. 6 election, according to results posted early the next day. The remainder of the vote was going to Libertarian and American Constitution candidates. While Gardner isn’t Gardner new to the district, Douglas County is. All of the county had been in the 6th Congressional District until the boundaries were redrawn last year. Only Highlands Ranch remains in the 6th. The heavily Republican 4th District comprises more than 20 counties and 30,000 square miles, mostly in the eastern plains area of Colorado. But Gardner feels there is an important issue that transcends any geographic or cultural differences between rural, agricultural towns and suburban Douglas County communities. “My focus has been on the economy and business issues and what we can do to provide the best constituent service,” the Yuma resident said in a September interview with Colorado Community Media. “I’ve driven 60,000 miles to provide that service and openness to constituents.” Gardner joined the Colorado House of Representatives in 2005. In 2010, he defeated 4th Congressional District incumbent Betsy Markey. Shaffer, a Longmont resident, has served in the state Senate since 2004. He has been Senate president since 2009, but term limits mean 2012 is his final year in the state Senate. MORE ELECTION COVERAGE ON PAGE 2 AND ONLINE AT OURLONETREENEWS.COM
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Students in Rock Canyon’s Fire Science First Responder program go through a drill on Nov. 1. Photos by Photo by Courtney Kuhlen | ckuhlen@ourcoloradonews.com
Class fires up students Fire science program second of its kind in state By Jane Reuter
jreuter@ourcoloradonews.com Rock Canyon High School senior Hunter Tyson always has dreamed of working in the fire service. So when he learned about Rock Canyon’s new Fire Science First Responder program, he immediately registered. “There was no question I was going to join this program,” he said. “I love it. What’s surprised me is how much this program offers for a future career.” RCHS is one of two high schools in Colorado with a Fire Science program; Jefferson County’s Warren Tech career and technical high school also offers one. It cost the Douglas County School District about $65,000 to launch the program, including buying a fire engine, ambulance and gear for students. Students who graduate from the three-part, two-semester program will
Instructor George Piccone goes over a drill with his students at Rock Canyon High School on Nov. 1. have training equivalent to the state’s Firefighter I requirements, and receive first responder and CPR certificates. The course isn’t limited to those seeking a career in fire service.
“This can give them a springboard into a lot of different careers,” instructor George Piccone said. Students could pursue jobs in risk Fire continues on Page 22