Steamboat Pilot & Today

The driver involved in a June 10 accident that claimed the life of 22-year-old Clark resident Jeffery Harris pleaded not guilty Friday in Grand County Court.

Dan Robbins, 31, is facing

charges of manslaughter, vehicular homicide and reckless driving in Grand County. In addition to those charges, he is facing charges in Routt County that he violated bond conditions July 6 by driving a motorcycle.

On June 10, Robbins was driving north on Colorado Highway 9 south of Kremmling when he lost control of the vehicle, and it slid into a guardrail. Harris, the passenger in the vehicle, was flown to a Denver hospital after the accident but died as a result of his injuries.

District Judge Paul McLimans set Robbins' case for a five-day trial to begin Jan. 23.

After the trial date was set, Robbins' attorney, Charles Feldmann asked that his client's bond conditions by modified to allow him to drive.

The Routt County charges Robbins faces deal with his alleged violation of that bond condition. He was arrested locally after someone reported seeing him driving a motorcycle in downtown Steamboat Springs on July 6.

The judge postponed a ruling about the request.

Dan and Doral Harris, Jeffery's parents, were in court Friday with other members of the family.

Dan Harris said they had not been notified about the request that Robbins' bond conditions be modified and said they are vehemently opposed to it.

"It's an insult to us that he would be allowed to drive again," he said.

The Harrises said they harbor no malice or vengeful feelings toward Robbins but that they want justice to be served for the death of their son.

Dan Harris said the July 6 allegations were made by a mutual acquaintance of the Harris family and Robbins and that the person was "100 percent sure" it was Robbins, or else they would not have reported the incident.

Harris said there have been other people who also said they have seen Robbins driving but that because they were not certain it was him, they did not report it.

"What if he did kill someone else? How would I feel about that?" Dan Harris asked.

Feldmann told McLimans that Robbins was not in Routt County on July 6. He said he had three witnesses he already had interviewed who would be willing to testify that Robbins was in Denver that day.

McLimans decided to postpone further discussion until 9 a.m. Aug. 29. The last time Robbins appeared in Routt County Court, McLimans set a one-day trial for 8:30 a.m. Sept. 27 to hear the bond-violation case.

-- To Alexis DeLaCruz, call 871-4234

or e-mail adelacruz@steamboatpilot.com.