A judge sentenced a Colorado Springs man Monday to six months of work release for hitting a flag woman while driving in a construction zone.

Fourth Judicial District Judge Robert L. Lowrey also ordered Dustin Eric Thomas to serve four years probation and perform 100 hours of community service for vehicular assault.

Thomas, 22, pleaded guilty on Jan. 10 to hitting Janice Krich of Calhan with a Subaru Impreza on July 21 while she was working in a construction zone at Woodmen Road and Academy Boulevard.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident.

Under work release, jail inmates are allowed out to go to jobs, but must report back to the jail when they are not working.

Deputy Public Defender Tamra Bowman asked Lowrey to consider a sentence without jail time.

“Dustin is very remorseful,” Bowman said. “From the beginning, he admitted responsibility.”

She added that he stopped drinking alcohol after the accident and that he had no prior felony conviction.

Deputy District Attorney Christopher Sutton said prosecutors considered this an aggravated case and had originally considered seeking a prison sentence for Thomas.

He noted that Thomas was on probation in Larimer County for a misdemeanor charge of prohibited use of a weapon at the time of the crash.

Sutton also said Thomas fled from the scene on foot while construction workers chased him.

However, a prison sentence did not reflect the wishes of the victim, said Sutton, who instead requested community corrections.

Lowrey said he sentenced Thomas to work release plus probation, in part, so that he can begin earning the large amount of restitution due for the victim’s medical bills.

“You don’t know how lucky you are that she didn’t die,” the judge told Thomas.

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