A man killed in a crash early Monday has been identified as a 23-year-old Fort Carson soldier who had returned home two weeks ago after a year in combat in Afghanistan.

Spc. Michael Valiant Colister was a passenger in a Honda Accord traveling north on Academy Boulevard that went off the right side of the road about 12:40 a.m. The vehicle hit a tree and light pole before coming to a rest on its top in a parking lot near Union Boulevard. Colister died at the scene of the crash.

The driver, 30, whose name has not been released, was speeding and drunk at the time of the crash, police said. He was taken to Penrose Hospital with serious injuries. His condition was not immediately available. Charges are pending against him, police said.

Colister entered the Army in August 2007, and in October 2008, he joined the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, according to Fort Carson. He was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal and the Combat Action Badge, among other accolades.

According to Colister’s Facebook page, the soldier was married and had two sons. He was born in Lansing, Mich., his obituary submitted to the Gazette states. He graduated from Air Academy High School, according to his Facebook profile.

“He always had a smile on his face and loved to make people laugh. He was creative, artistic, and loved to fish. Michael never hesitated to encourage and help his friends,” his obituary reads.

He studied art, graphic design, sociology and psychology at Savannah (Ga.) College of Art and Design, according to his Facebook profile.

Spc. Michael Valiant Colister Photo by