Porter arraigned for vehicular homicide

DU player accused of driving while intoxicated in crash that killed Uber driver last month

Coban Porter, brother of Denver Nuggets star Michael Porter Jr. and a University of Denver basketball player, appeared in court Monday to face charges in a fatal crash last month.

Porter, 21, is charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and reckless driving. He appeared for an arraignment in Denver County Court on Monday and is next due in court on April 11.

Porter spoke briefly during the hearing to answer questions from the judge. His attorney, Harvey Steinberg, declined to comment on the case.

Prosecutors believe Porter was driving while intoxicated when he ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle just before 2 a.m. Jan. 22 at the intersection of South University and Buchtel boulevards in Denver. The person driving the second vehicle, Uber driver Katharina Rothman, 42, was killed, and her passenger was seriously injured.

Rothman’s family attended Monday’s hearing and wept at times. Porter also cried while waiting for the hearing to start, and stood before the judge with his head bowed.

Rothman’s mother, Connie Johnson, at one point stepped out.

“I don’t think I can stay here,” she said, weeping. She later returned to the courtroom for the hearing. She and other family members declined to comment after the proceeding.

Police said Porter had bloodshot eyes, was slurring his words and smelled of alcohol at the scene of the crash near the University of Denver’s campus.

He was arrested at the scene and released from jail after Michael Porter Jr. paid $2,000 on a bond, court records show.