Aaron Barone was riding his motorcycle in Grand Junction, Colorado, on June 14, 2025, when a driver struck him. The 41-year-old received catastrophic injuries, and emergency crews rushed him to a hospital for treatment. When police arrived at the accident scene near North Seventh Street and Bunting Avenue, 30-year-old Kalynn Settle reportedly told them she was a registered nurse who stopped to help. But an investigation revealed she actually struck Barone and tried to blame the accident on someone else. Tragically, Barone died three weeks later, and Settle just learned her fate.
Police apparently noticed alcohol on Settle’s breath.
According to court documents obtained by the Daily Sentinel, Settle said she was a registered nurse and wanted to help after a “Mexican lady” fled the scene, leaving Barone injured. An officer noticed “blood or human flesh” on Settle’s SUV and noticed an alcoholic beverage inside. When police told her she was under arrest on DUI charge, she reportedly told the officer, “Good luck with that.”
Settle’s vehicle had multiple illegal substances inside.
Police obtained a search warrant for Settle’s SUV and found alcohol, prescription medication, a glass pipe with white and brown residue, a baggie with white powder, and a baggie with a white crystal-like substance, KREX reported. A blood test later revealed Settle had multiple substances in her system, including ethanol, cocaine, cocaethylene, Benzoylecgonine, and Alprazolam.
Settle eventually decided to plead guilty to vehicular homicide and possession of a controlled substance – cocaine, according to KREX.
Barone’s family spoke at the sentencing.
According to his obituary, Barone lived a full and happy life.
“He enjoyed bicycle riding, swimming, camping, and hiking. Aaron was an animal lover, especially in raising dogs. Aaron was a kind, compassionate, intelligent, hard-working man. He was always outgoing and friendly with an excellent sense of humor,” the obituary reads.
His father, Michael Barone, recalled hearing his son’s last heartbeats before he died on July 4, 2025. “He worked hard his entire life, only to have it cut short by an act of irresponsibility,” he said.
Settle received the maximum sentence.
During an April 30, 2026, court appearance, Settle reportedly tried to show remorse, per the Daily Sentinel. “On that day, I made a choice I can never undo,” she said.
Prosecutor Joshua Dougherty claimed Settle was trying to make herself into a hero when, in fact, she’s the villain. “There’s no indication that she was showing some sort of remorse based on her actions,” Dougherty said.
Dougherty claimed Settle missed multiple pretrial drug tests because she apparently did not take the case seriously. Although she had no prior criminal history, her mother, Heather Settle, testified in court that her daughter had long struggled with addiction.
“As her mother, I deeply love her, but my love does not excuse her actions,” Heather Settle said, according to the Daily Sentinel.
Judge JenniLynne Lawrence noted that although she had intended to sentence Settle to community supervision, once she learned of the missed drug tests, she changed her mind. Settle will spend six years in prison for her crimes.
“You still have choices you can make that can improve the outcome for you,” Lawrence said. “Mr. Barone lost his life. That can’t be given back.”
This is how the justice system should work. Do the crime, do the time.
