6-year prison sentence for man who crashed head-on with a police officer in Colorado Springs while high on meth

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - A Colorado Springs police officer’s life was forever changed after he was hit head-on in a crash by a man reportedly under the influence of meth.

The crash happened on July 26, 2022, in an area along Dublin Boulevard to the east of North Union Boulevard. Early into the investigation, police explained the officer was traveling westbound on Dublin when he was struck by a vehicle driving eastbound on the westbound side of the road. The driver who caused the crash was Cole Sherod. Two charges of drug possession and DUI were withdrawn and Cole entered a guilty plea to vehicular assault while under the influence, according to online court records.

11 News was in the courtroom on Wednesday when Sherod was sentenced to six years in prison. Sherod apologized on Wednesday for the crash that forever changed Officer Nicholas Hamaker’s life.

“It felt good, I guess, to hear that he… That he was apologetic,” Officer Hamaker told 11 News after the sentencing Wednesday. “He still made the decision to get in the car under the influence of narcotics and drive, and eventually the crash happened.”

Hamaker first spoke about his recovery process with 11 News in January, and he said Wednesday that he’ll continue to take an agressive approach in his recovery so he can get back doing what he loves and “provide, you know, my service to the community.”

In the courtroom before sentencing, Officer Hamaker listed his injuries to those in attendance: a shattered and dislocated foot, chronic nerve damage in that foot, nerve damage in his left arm and a traumatic brain injury.

“It was a little relieving to actually get out all of my injuries to the court and let everybody know that... you know Mr. Sherod, the defense, the District Attorney’s Office and the judge know what the injuries were that I sustained that day,” Officer Hamaker said.

Sherod was on parole for another felony at the time of the crash.

“It took what will likely be a career-ending injury to Officer Hamaker to bring Mr. Sherod’s history to the forefront,” the Colorado Springs Police Protective Association (CSPPA)PPA Executive Director Sherryl Dillon stated. “If you are a parent or have a loved one who drives, they could have been in Officer Hamaker’s place. Society has high expectations of law enforcement, as they should; our officers and our community should also be able to trust the judicial system to hold convicted individuals accountable so they do not continue to victimize the public”.

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