Hearing on careless driving charges continued

 Defense conducting its own investigation

By Katherine Nettles

The hearing for a Crested Butte resident involved in a fatal traffic accident last summer was continued for a second time on Tuesday to allow the defense to conduct its investigation. 

Erik Klemme’s arraignment hearing in January was continued with a status conference set for February 25 in Gunnison County District Court. At that conference the hearing was further continued to April 21 at the request of the defendant. 

Klemme was charged with two counts of careless driving causing death for his involvement in a three-vehicle accident in August 2019 along Highway 50 that resulted in the deaths of Parlin residents Donavan Moss and his wife, Kaycee Moss. 

Klemme was not present at the conference on Tuesday, and his legal representative Thomas Riser spoke on his behalf. Riser said he had spoken to deputy district attorney Joshua Dougherty about the case, “and in the interim we are in the midst of trying to get the investigation started on our end.” Riser asked for an extended continuance, outside of the standard 30 days, to allow for that investigation to take place. 

Judge Ashley Burgemeister of the Seventh Judicial District, who is presiding over the case, agreed and set the next hearing for April 21 at 2:30 p.m. Klemme will be present at that hearing, his attorney said.