SANDRA HENRICHS, Individually and as Representative of the Estate of Richard Henrichs, Deceased v. ROBERT WILLS

Deadly Skier Collision at Breckenridge

Facts

Robert Wills, 30, of Plymouth, England collided with Richard Henrichs, a 56-year-old from Naperville, Illinois who was skiing with his son Ryan Henrichs. Richard Henrichs suffered a severe concussion, several broken ribs, internal injuries and a broken hip, the severity of his injuries ultimately resulting in his death.

Wills collided into Henrichs on the beginner Falcon Access ski run at Breckenridge, knocking him out of his bindings and crashing into a lone tree in the middle of the slope. Wills initially was held by the Summit County Sheriff's Department on suspicion of assault and reckless endangerment, and those charges were modified to criminally negligent homicide and manslaughter after Henrichs died at Swedish Medical Center. Though the district attorney's office, after several days of investigation, released Wills without charges, the case received international attention as the possibility of manslaughter charges arising from conduct on a ski slope were considered.

The wrongful death suit, which has a less demanding standard of evidence than a criminal prosecution, was filed in U.S. District Court in Denver. Wills, who worked as a scaffolder, was the sole defendant. The case settled for an confidential amount.