The driver who killed two CDOT workers and his wife while driving under the influence will serve 30 years in prison. Patrick Sneddon was sentenced Thursday for three counts of vehicular homicide. It was the maximum sentence called for in a plea agreement he accepted in August.
He received two 12-year sentences for hitting CDOT workers Nathan Jones and Trent Umberger, who were fixing a sign on Highway 6 when the accident occurred. Sneddon also received six years for the death of his wife, Kathi Wallace. All three sentences will run consecutively.
“I love and miss my husband. Until we meet again,” Kristine Umberger, Trent’s wife, said with a message for drivers. “Please don't drive right under the influence. Move over, slow down. It's the law.”
Sneddon will also serve 18 months for failure to exercise caution, like slowing down or giving space, for workers on the side of the road. That will run concurrently with the 30-year sentence. He was credited with 296 days served.
Sneddon has a criminal history that involved marijuana and driving. He was convicted for separate charges of possession of marijuana and careless driving in 2013. Judge Jeremy Chaffin considered that history in determining the sentence.
“Every day that you drove, Mr. Sneddon, you put the community at risk. Every day you were essentially driving a deadly weapon, and we are fortunate that your mayhem ended because it could have been far, far worse,” Chaffin said. “It was horrible what you did, Mr. Sneddon. You ended the life of a husband, a father, a brother. You ended the life of your soulmate, Mr. Sneddon. That deserves prison.”
Along with Kristine Umberger, the Mesa County courtroom was full with the victims’ family, CDOT workers, and Colorado State Patrol troopers. Some gave impact statements prior to the sentencing, with many asking for the maximum sentence.
“Trenton is the definition of perfect. The day you took his life, you took ours, too,” Kristine Umberger said. “Every day I cry, and I'm so stressed and lost. I never imagined my husband would never come home. I wished it was a bad dream. But when I opened my eyes, it's reality.”
Umberger, 43, lived in Grand Junction. The father of five also worked as a transportation maintenance professional in Grand Junction and Vail. He was also due to be a grandfather. His oldest son, Wyatt, had his first child on Sept. 28.
The 23-year-old Jones was also a transportation maintenance professional who lived and worked in Grand Junction. He was a member of the CDOT Maintenance Apprenticeship Program.
“Nathan helped pay the bills and keep our home and cars running,” said his mother, Wendy Jones, who called him her best friend. “I live on disability and now can barely cover my basic expenses. He supported us, kept us from being homeless. His loss has left us broken emotionally and financially.”
Sitting in a brown jail suit with his attorneys, 59-year-old Sneddon gave an apology.
“I just want to be able to tell the families that I'm really very, very, very sorry. It was never my intention to cause this accident or to take their loved ones. That's not me,” Sneddon said. “I lost my wife. I understand their pain, and it's not right.”
According to the Colorado State Patrol’s initial report, Jones and Umberger were working outside of their vehicle in the westbound lane of Highway 6 near milepost 40 near Palisades on Sept. 4, 2024. The two men were trying to replace a sign at the time of the crash.
At 10:42 a.m., Seddon’s Jeep Grand Cherokee struck the two men and their CDOT vehicle. One of the men died at the scene, and the other died from injuries later. Wallace, who was 67 years old and a passenger in the car, also died at the scene. Sneddon was treated for minor injuries.
During the investigation, Sneddon told troopers that he had briefly looked over at Wallace in a brief conversation before noticing that his vehicle was drifting off the road. He said he noticed the workers and their truck but was unable to react in time.
Sneddon also told troopers he only used CBD oil. But a blood test conducted after the crash revealed that there were 30 nanograms of THC in his system. The legal limit in Colorado is 5 nanograms. Oxycodone that was prescribed to Wallace was also found in his system.
“Mr. Sneddon has already been in one of these crashes. Now, he's in two. He caused both of them. And the people submit he is not accepting responsibility,” said Michael Fischer, prosecuting attorney. “He's acknowledging causing the crash, but not the things he could have, should have, and must do to avoid these things.”
Defense attorneys noted that Sneddon has a medical marijuana card. They said he used the drug to treat chronic pain sustained from the 2013 accident. They sought a 10-year prison sentence.
“That is finally a sentence that would help promote acceptance and responsibility and accountability for Mr. Snedden and provide restoration and healing for the victims in the community,” defense attorney Jennifer Gregory said. “I don't think that there is a single thing the court could do today that would really move the needle in terms of the grief that the victim's families and that Mr. Snedden have experienced at the deaths of Mr. Umberger, Mr. Jones and Ms. Wallace.”
According to Colorado’s Move Over of Slow Down Law, a motor vehicle is required to move one lane apart from a stationary motor vehicle when a stationary motor vehicle has its hazard lights activated.
The driver is required to move two lanes if their vehicle is going in the same direction. If the driver cannot move to be one lane apart from the stationary motor vehicle, they must slow down and drive at a safe speed.
Colorado State Patrol said that Jones and Umberberger were following safety guidelines by wearing ANSI vests. Their vehicle’s lights and signboard were activated at the time of the crash.
