Colorado woman Lisa Norton charged with murder after DUI death crash

A Colorado woman has been charged with first-degree murder after causing a fatal car accident and attempting to swim away from the scene, according to police.

Lisa Norton, 32, is accused of smashing into a car driven by 33-year-old father Gabriel Nielsen on Saturday.

Mr Nielsen died at the scene; his sister and two-year-old daughter survived serious injury.

Nielsen's sister, 24-year-old Cherish Francis, suffered a broken arm and ribs. His daughter, Avery, suffered skull fractures that left her in critical condition, reports Denver Westword.

Records claim Norton at first fled the scene on foot and then jumped into Clover Basin Reservoir to make an escape.

She was pulled from the water by boaters and then handed over to authorities.

Tragic: Gabriel Nielsen died in the crash, pictured here with his daughter Avery, who suffered critical injuries

Norton was charged yesterday with first-degree murder showing extreme indifference, vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident.

Court records show Norton was arrested for driving under the influence in March after she was pulled over by police in Boulder, and sped off as a deputy approached her car.

Hit-and-run: Police said Norton first fled the scene on foot and then jumped into Clover Basin Reservoir to make an escape

She was apprehended after a brief chase and pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in exchange for prosecutors dropping a series of other charges, including illegal lane changes, eluding a police officer and resisting arrest.

She was sentenced to 12 months probation just two days before the accident.

Norton was previously convicted of DUI in 2006.

She is being held in a Longmont prison awaiting trial.