His case went to a jury trial (for some reason), and in early 1997, the hung jury resulted in a second DUI charge. Prosecutors reopened the case, only to close it when Denver died in October 1997. Denver had a pilot’s license, and in 1996 after the DUI charges, the FAA concluded that he would no longer be allowed to fly a plane.
Unfortunately, his inability to abstain from alcohol became a major factor in his death. On October 12, Denver was testing out an experimental plane – a Long-EZ – that he bought from a man in Santa Maria. Denver was practicing a series of touch-and-go landings before taking the plane out for a spin over Monterey Bay. 53-year-old Denver’s “test ride” was his last.