A look at hit-and-run injury crashes in January around the Denver metro area

Denver7 goes in-depth on hit-and-run crashes across the metro space right now and you may watch our protection of this necessary subject tonight on Denver7 or our streaming channels.

Colorado’s yearly visitors fatalities are on the rise and among the many most careless forms of incidents are hit-and-run crashes, the place a driver leaves an injured — generally fatally — particular person behind on the scene.

All year long, police departments and sheriff’s workplaces across the state ask for the general public’s assist fixing these crimes, which incorporates providing money rewards by way of Crime Stoppers.

RELATED: Pedestrian advocates say road design performs a job in crashes

In Colorado, a hit-and-run crash that causes non-serious accidents is punishable by 10 days to a 12 months in jail and/or a effective of $300 as much as $1,000. If the particular person is critically injured, the motive force faces a Class 4 felony punishable by two to 6 years in jail and/or a effective as much as $500,000. If the particular person is killed within the crash, the motive force faces a Class 3 felony with 4 to 12 years in jail and/or a effective as much as $750,000.

It’s towards the legislation to go away the scene of any crash, even when no one is injured. If you happen to witness a hit-and-run, both use your telephone or attempt to memorize as a lot as you may concerning the suspect car or the motive force (and in the event you’re driving, pull over to write down it down). Then name 911. Authorities urge witnesses to not pursue a fleeing suspect and as an alternative are inclined to anyone who was injured.

READ MORE: What’s behind the dramatic rise in Colorado visitors deaths? The stats, developments and what wants to alter

In 2022, Denver had 54 hit-and-run crashes that led to severe accidents and 17 that had been deadly.

The entries beneath element 2023 hit-and-run crashes across the Denver metro space the place at the least one particular person was injured or killed. This record doesn’t embrace crashes of solely property injury.

To see the entire Colorado Division of Transportation’s crash knowledge, click on right here.

Denver7 used police departments’ and sheriff’s workplaces’ social media and press releases, together with our personal reporting, to gather the record beneath. Attain out to [email protected] if you understand of an damage hit-and-run crash within the Denver metro space from January 2023 to incorporate right here.

Denver

Jan. 7 | 18th Road and Wazee Road
Denver officers investigated a hit-and-run crash involving a motorist and 4 pedestrians round 11:40 p.m. 4 individuals had been transported to a hospital with severe accidents. The motive force fled the scene. Police are investigating this crash as an assault.

Through the investigation, police recognized the suspect as Orlando Martinez, Jr., 22. Police mentioned he allegedly struck the pedestrians “deliberately following a verbal altercation.” He faces 4 counts of investigation of tried homicide, two counts of first-degree assault inflicting severe bodily damage and two counts of second-degree assault.

Jan. 12 | California Road and twenty second Road
Round 1:40 p.m. on Jan. 12, the motive force of a dark-colored Chevrolet Camaro was touring westbound on California Road and struck a pedestrian who was crossing at twenty second Road. The pedestrian was critically injured.

hit and run driver_22nd and california_jan 12 2023.png

The automobile has silver rims and should have minor injury to the entrance passenger facet. Click on right here for extra.

Jan. 13 | E. Colfax Avenue and N. Grant Road
Denver police are looking for a driver and car concerned in a serious hit-and-run crash on Jan. 13 round 1:18 a.m. Police mentioned the motive force was headed west on Colfax simply east of Grant Road and struck a pedestrian within the roadway. The motive force fled the scene.

The suspect car could have minor injury to the passenger facet of the car. It’s described as a small, darkish SUV, much like an Acura RDX.

Jan. 21 | Interstate 25 close to exit for Park Avenue West
On Jan. 21 round 2:09 a.m., the motive force of a black Nissan sedan was touring northbound on I-25 and struck a silver truck touring in the identical route, police mentioned. The truck collided with the middle barrier wall and the motive force was critically injured.

The motive force of the black Nissan fled from the scene.

Jan. 25 | Franklin Road and E. Colfax Avenue
A Medina Alert was issued for a white 2011 Chevy Cruz with non permanent plate 443-8404 that was concerned in a hit-and-run crash north of Cheesman Park round 6:30 p.m. The sufferer was critically injured.

Aurora

Jan. 24 | E. Colfax Avenue and Moline Road
Round 7:35 p.m. on Jan. 24, a driver crashed right into a bus cease at Colfax and Moline, placing two individuals who had been ready for the bus. The motive force then ran from the scene and has not been positioned.

The 2 victims had been pinned between the car and the bus cease shelter, in accordance with Aurora Hearth Rescue.

One in every of them was transported to a hospital with severe accidents. The opposite particular person didn’t require medical remedy.

The motive force was described as a Black man who was carrying a hoodie. He was final seen operating south from the placement.

Jan. 26 | Peoria Road and E. nineteenth Avenue
The motive force of a giant SUV hit an older man at E. nineteenth Avenue and Peoria Road simply earlier than 7 a.m. on Jan. 26, Aurora police mentioned.

When officers arrived on the scene, they discovered a person mendacity within the roadway with life-threatening accidents.

peoria street hit-and-run jan 26 2023.jpg

He was declared deceased round 9 a.m. The suspect car was discovered close by however the driver had left the scene.

Based mostly on the preliminary investigation, Aurora police consider that the motive force of the SUV was headed southbound on Peoria Road because the pedestrian was crossing on the E. nineteenth Avenue intersection. The motive force then struck the person and fled, police mentioned.

On the afternoon of Jan. 26, police mentioned they’d arrested Daniel Saenz-Moreno, 27, of Dillon in reference to the crash.

Englewood

Jan. 25 | S. Broadway and W. Floyd Avenue
A Medina Alert was issued on Jan. 25 after a suspect in a white 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 allegedly struck a pedestrian at S. Broadway and W. Floyd Avenue, in accordance with Aurora police. The pedestrian’s leg was injured within the crash.

Based mostly on the investigation, the Englewood Police Division mentioned the suspect driver was initially concerned in a minor crash with one other automobile, however when the drivers began to trade info, the suspect fled from the scene, operating over the sufferer within the course of.

Authorities mentioned they consider the automobile has injury to the entrance grill and windshield, and doesn’t have license plates. It had a blue tarp or black tonneau cowl on the truck mattress. Authorities additionally mentioned they consider the pickup truck was stolen out of Adams County.

In keeping with witnesses, a white man in his 30s with brown hair was driving the truck on the time.

Round 5 p.m. that day, the Medina Alert was canceled after police positioned the Dodge, however the driver stays at-large.

Westminster

Jan. 22 | Freeway 36 and Federal Boulevard
Round 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 22, officers in Westminster responded to Freeway 36 and Federal Boulevard after receiving a name a couple of pedestrian within the roadway. Shortly afterward, they obtained a name {that a} man was mendacity within the highway and should have been hit by a automobile.

The person was transported to a hospital with severe accidents.

Police decided that the car that hit the person was presumably a black 2016-2019 Chevy Silverado, with attainable heavy proper front-end injury.

On Jan. 23, police mentioned because of a tip from the general public, they’d arrested the suspect, who was recognized as Kenneth Wade Taylor, 39.

He faces the next expenses:

Failure to stay on the scene of an accident involving severe bodily damage
Failure to inform police of an accident
Failure to supply proof of insurance coverage
Driving car whereas underneath restraint

Thornton

Jan. 1 | Interstate 25 between E. 144th Avenue and Freeway 7
A girl was struck and killed in a hit-and-run alongside I-25 after the rideshare car she was in left her and her mates on the interstate shortly after midnight on New 12 months’s Day, in accordance with Thornton police.

A preliminary investigation into the lethal crash revealed the girl and a bunch of mates had been touring in a rideshare car after a celebration when she turned in poor health. The motive force pulled over alongside I-25 between E. 144th Avenue and Freeway 7 earlier than the passengers ended the trip.

Police mentioned the girl then walked out into the roadway a short while later and was sideswiped by a darkish truck that continued driving. One other automobile then struck the pedestrian whereas she was mendacity on the roadway, Thornton police mentioned. That second driver stopped. The girl died of her accidents.

On Jan. 2, the motive force of the darkish truck got here in to talk with investigators and was arrested for hit-and-run involving dying, police mentioned. He was recognized as 33-year-old Adam Wooley, of Frederick. He was formally charged on Jan. 17.

Wooley instructed police there have been no automobiles round him and thought “somebody had thrown one thing at his truck,” arresting paperwork present.

Cherry Hills Village

None

Lakewood

None

Edgewater

None

Highlands Ranch

None

Greenwood Village

None

Northglenn

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