VAIL, Colorado — A Vail man faces up to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to running down and killing a pedestrian while driving drunk.

David Matthew Perzanowski, 29, of Vail, pleaded guilty Wednesday to vehicular homicide-DUI for allegedly hitting and killing Lewis Cook III, 32, of Glen Ellen, Calif.

The incident occurred at 1:50 a.m., Sunday, March 6, as Perzanowski was driving his 2007 Jeep Cherokee along South Frontage Road in East Vail.

When Vail officers arrived at the scene, they found Cook unconscious and unresponsive by the side of the road, where he had been walking before Perzanowski struck him. They performed CPR, but Cook did not respond.

Perzanowski was arrested at the scene.

Perzanowski was charged with vehicular homicide-DUI, a Class III felony. That means he was driving drunk when he hit Cook, said District Attorney Mark Hurlbert.

If he had not been driving while intoxicated, he would have been charged with a Class IV felony, which carries a shorter prison term, Hurlbert said.

“We feel that justice was done by the plea. Now we'll wait for sentencing. As of now, though, we are very happy with the outcome,” Hurlbert said.

He's scheduled to appear before District Court Judge Tom Moorhead Oct. 26 for sentencing.

The range for a Class III felony ranges from four-12 years in state prison, fines between $3,000-$750,000. Perzanowski's sentence could be reduced to two years, or he could get as many as 24 years, depending on how Moorhead determines the circumstances of the case and Perzanowski's behavior.

Perzanowski was free on $15,000 bond. Since the incident, he has tested clean for alcohol and drugs during regular testing, according to testimony in Eagle County Court.

Perzanowski has a prior alcohol incident from 2006, according to court records.

Prosecutors dismissed a misdemeanor charge Perzanowski had faced.

About the victim

Cook was born Jan. 4, 1979, in San Francisco, where he attended University High School, according to an obituary. He was a four-time All-American swimmer in high school and played water polo at Princeton, where he graduated with honors in 2001 with a degree in economics.

He worked for a few years in real estate in Austin, Texas, before earning his MBA from Duke University. He was recognized as a Duke Scholar in 2007.

He returned to Austin to work for Simmons Vedder in acquisitions before starting his own real estate investment company last year. He was directing a project for his family's oil and gas interests at the time of his death.

Staff Writer Randy Wyrick can be reached at 970-748-2935 or rwyrick@vaildaily.com.