A father accused of manslaughter in his daughter's death during a winter sledding accident was declared not guilty by a Clark County judge Tuesday.

Peter Gecho was accused of vehicular manslaughter in the death of his nine year old daughter, Madison. The little girl hit a brick wall while being towed in the snow behind her father’s truck in January of 2007.

Gecho, who could have been sentenced to more than two years in prison, sobbed when the verdict was read by Clark County Superior Court Judge John F. Nichols. Gecho had waived his right to a jury trial.

Nichols said the charges required that Gecho be aware of the risks and consequences of his behavior and act heedlessly with indifference to them. "I don't think the defendant was aware of the probabilities, and as such, I must find him not guilty," Nichols said.

There was also conflicting testimony that about whether Gecho had been drinking, but Nichols said there was no evidence it was a factor.

"This has been a very hard and sad case for everybody," said Gecho's attorney, Thomas C. Phelan. "Peter and Madison had an incredible relationship. He has a hole in his heart that will never be filled. All it was was an accident."

Gecho also sobbed on Monday as he listened to a veteran nurse at Legacy Salmon Creek describe the moments when Getcho pulled up to the hospital.

According to the nurse, Gecho said his daughter wasn’t moving and was gurgling blood.

Background: Father arrested after sledding death

Last week a detective testified he smelled alcohol on Gecho’s breathe at the hospital. But today, the nurse from Legacy said he was standing close enough to Gecho to take Madison out of his arms and didn’t detect alcohol.

“When you were standing this close to Mr. Gecho did you smell alcohol?” asked defense attorney Tom Phelan.

“Not at all,” replied Mark Breakey, R.N.

Also, a crash reconstruction expert put the tube’s launch speed no more than 26 mph. Last week a physics expert testified the tube was going as fast as 38 mph.

(KGW Reporter Jane Smith contributed to this story)