- Suspect: Dominic Friedlein
- Victim: Stefan Siegmann, 29
- Charges: DWI vehicular homicide and two counts of DWI great bodily harm
- Status: Guilty plea to DWI vehicular homicide
- Sentence: 3 years: 354 days in jail, 1 year on electronic monitoring and 1 year credit for time served
- Date of incident: April 9, 2017
- Agency: Santa Fe Police Department
- Location: Saint Francis Drive and San Mateo Road, Santa Fe
- Magistrate case number: M-49-FR-2017-00410
- District case number: D-101-CR-201700354
Summary
Dominic Friedlein allegedly turned left in front of another car, causing a crash that killed one of the two people traveling with him on April 9, 2017 in Santa Fe.
He was arrested following the arrest on charges of DWI vehicular homicide and two counts of DWI great bodily harm.
He was originally set to have a preliminary hearing on April 19, but it was postponed for reasons unlisted in the court record.
On May 5, 2017, he was indicted on the same charges.
On Jan. 2, 2018, he pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and prosecutors dismissed the two counts of DWI great bodily harm as part of the plea agreement, which capped his sentence at three years. District Court Judge T. Glenn Ellington sentenced him to three years, with credit of one year time served, 354 days in jail and followed by one year on electronic monitoring.
The incident
On April 9, 2017, Dominic Friedlein was allegedly driving a silver Toyota 4Runner with his friends, Stefan Siegmann, 29, and Hanna Young.
Siegmann died from head trauma. Young’s injuries were not listed, although she identified Friedlein as the driver.
Friedlein was allegedly driving north on Saint Francis Drive, approaching San Mateo Road, when he took a left onto San Mateo, Santa Fe Police Officer Heinz De Luca wrote in a statement of probable cause for Friedlein’s arrest.
De Luca interviewed Friedlein following the crash.
“According to Mr. Friedlein, before entering the intersection, he observed a silver, 2009 Chevrolet approaching the intersection on the southbound side of Saint Francis Drive,” De Luca wrote. “Mr. Friedlein added that he thought he had enough time and initiated a left turn. Upon entering the intersection on a green light it appeared to him as if the approaching vehicle was not going fast then it sped up and struck his vehicle on the right front side.”
Friedlein allegedly admitted to drinking three beers at the Second Street Brewery and De Luca alleged that his eyes were bloodshoot and he smelled like alcohol.
After conducting a field sobriety test, De Luca alleged Friedlein was impaired to the slightest degree, the legal test for intoxicated driving in New Mexico.
The people in the Chevy, Pamela Reyes, suffered nasty injuries. Driver Pamela Reyes had two broken wrists and three broken ribs while her 7-year-old son Jose Chavez has a fractured eye socket and an internal nose bleed.
After arresting Friedlein, the officer applied for a search warrant for the man’s blood, which was granted. The blood was taken at the Christus St. Vincent Medical Center in Santa Fe.
According to a sentencing memorandum filed later by a prosecutor, his blood-alcohol level was 0.12.
He was originally set to have a preliminary hearing on April 19, but it was postponed for reasons unlisted in the court record.
According to a sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutor Johnn Osborn, Reyes was driving 64 mph in a 45 mph zone up to one second before she slammed into the 4Runner Friedlein was driving. She braked, bringing her impact speed down to 45 mph.
Osborn wrote that Freidlein told an officer at the scene,
PC - Dominic Friedlein - 4-10-2017“I had three beers on an empty stomach, someone else should’ve drove, I ruined my life today … How do you not blame yourself for something like this, I killed someone today.”
Indictment, plea and sentence
On May 4, 2017, a Santa Fe grand jury indicted Freidlein on charges of:
- DWI vehicular homicide
- Two counts of DWI great bodily harm
Plea
On Jan. 2, 2018, Freidlein pleaded guilty to DWI vehicular homicide for Seigmann’s death.
According to the plea agreement, Freidlein’s sentence would be capped at three years in prison followed by some term of supervised probation. In addition, the maximum sentence of 15 years would be imposed, but it would be suspended, so if Freidlein violated his probation, he could face much of the original maximum sentence.
According to prosecutor Johnn Osborn’s sentencing memorandum, Seigmann’s family wanted Freidlein to serve an additional year in custody, not counting the time he already spent in jail pending trial.
Seigmann was born in Austria to a mother from West Texas and a father from the Austrian Alps. He was a “central figure” in his extended family and his parents’ only child, Osborn wrote.
“He loved to plan ‘Cousins Weekend’ and family get-togethers and was lovingly known as ‘Muffin’ to the younger kids in the family,” Osborn wrote.
He was also a skilled skier and helped coach the Santa Fe Ski Team with his father, he wrote.
“From 2012 through 2017, Stefan and his father guided the Santa Fe Ski Team to national recognition,” Osborn wrote.
Before his death Seigmann planned to move to Flagstaff, Ariz. to “complete his education in Nursing.” He worked as a surgical technician at Christus St. Vincent Regional Medical Center, he wrote.
On April 18, 2018, First Judicial District Court Judge T. Glenn Ellington sentenced Freidlein to three years, with some caveats:
- He received credit for 374 days spent in jail or on electronic monitoring pending trial
- Ellington ordered he serve 354 days in jail and not earn good time and
- He spend 365 days on electronic monitoring following his release from jail
View the documents on Google Drive.
