Woman to be sentenced for fatal Mesa County crash

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) - The woman who struck and killed a motorcyclist in June 2025 will be sentenced on Thursday. Kalynn Settle pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and possession of a controlled substance - cocaine. Her sentence for the drug charge will run concurrent to the vehicular homicide charge, according to Mesa County District Attorney Dan Rubinstein. Settle, 30, was charged in the crash that happened on June 14 on North Seventh Street and Bunting Avenue. Settle was driving an SUV while traveling southbound on North Seventh Street when she allegedly crossed into the northbound lane and struck motorcycle rider, Aaron Barone. He was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, but he later passed away on July 4. Grand Junction officers spoke with Settle on the scene and noticed her speech appeared to be slurred and she had bloodshot, watery eyes. Law enforcement also reportedly observed a faint odor of alcohol coming from her breath. She was asked if she would be willing to do roadside maneuvers, but refused, according to the affidavit. Police obtained a signed search warrant to draw blood from Settle. When searching her vehicle, officers allegedly discovered alcohol, prescription medication and a glass pipe with a bundle of Brillo on one end of the pipe that had white and brown burnt residue. They also found a small pink baggie with a white powdery substance and a small pink circular container with a white crystal-like substance, according to the affidavit. Officers tested the white powder, and it reportedly tested positive for ketamine, while the white crystal-like substance allegedly came back positive for cocaine. Two witnesses talked with officers, and both noted Settle veered into oncoming traffic “for an unknown reason” before striking Barone, the affidavit alleged. The Grand Junction Police Department later received Settle’s blood results. She had .120 grams of ethanol, 151 ng/mL of cocaine, 75 ng/mL of cocaethylene and over 1,000 ng/mL of Benzoylecgonine and less than 5 ng/mL of Alprazolam, according to the affidavit. Ketamine and Norketamine were not detected. She was given a $5,000 personal recognizance bond in January.