Traffic Accidents

Videos: Best bicycling states of 2013 -- and why Colorado finished near the top

The League of American Bicyclists is out with its list of the best states for cycling -- and Colorado finished in impressive fashion. Not that the League thinks any state has achieved perfection when it comes to welcoming and protecting cyclists. In our top ten list below, we've included the organi ... More >>

Jim Tilmon charged with vehicular homicide in hit and run that killed Zewde Ali

Just past 6 p.m. on December 6, Zewde Ali, 61, stepped out of a bus and crossed to a center median on South Parker Road, as many people in the area do every single day. But before she could cross to the other side, Ali was struck and killed by a vehicle whose driver didn't feel like sticking around. ... More >>

Jenna Breen update: Viet Nguyen pleads guilty in horrific hit and run

In August, Gail Parrish shared her frustration about the absence of a guilty plea in the January hit and run that killed Jenna Breen, her beloved daughter. This week, however, that situation changed. Viet Nguyen, the man charged with committing the crime, finally pleaded guilty to all charges again ... More >>

Laura McDermott hit and run: Police report says Dennis Esquibel admitted driving in fatal crash

Last week, we reported about the arrest of Dennis Esquibel in the tragic hit and run that killed Laura McDermott. Shortly thereafter, Esquibel's mother claimed he wasn't actually driving at the time of the collision, while the police insisted otherwise. A copy of Esquibel's probable cause statement ... More >>

Dennis Esquibel busted in fatal Laura McDermott hit and run -- but was he the driver?

Update: An arrest has been made in the horrific hit and run that killed Laura McDermott over the weekend: Dennis Esquibel, 25, has been charged with the crime. But it's not that simple. He was reportedly joined in the car that caused the fatal crash by two other people -- and his mother, who owns t ... More >>

David Oursler, Jeffco committeeman, killed in Golden head-on collision

The Golden Police Department has identified the man who died in a terrible crash last week as David Oursler, a forty year old from Morrison. Oursler's Facebook page reveals a man who loved the great outdoors and the Republican party, which he served as a Jefferson County commiteeman.

Gathering of the Clouds

Jenna Breen's hit-and-run death: New info in case of three-time DUI offender

Update:There have been some new developments in the tragic story of Jenna Breen, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident with Viet Nguyen, a man with three previous DUI arrests. Below, get more information about the search for possible witnesses (or perhaps additional suspects), a fund in Jenna's n ... More >>

Johnny Hockaday: Vehicular homicide charge in DUI-Wax Trax crash that killed Roland Stith

Big pic below.​Update: On October 18, Johnny Hockaday, 28, will be formally advised of the accusations against him -- and there are plenty of them. He's been charged with four felonies, including vehicular homicide, in relation to the alleged drunk-driving crash that slammed the vehicle driven ... More >>

Breaking news: Car smashes into Wax Trax overnight, store to be reopened later today

Wax Trax should be reopened later today​Update (11:02 a.m.): So what initially appeared to be a unfortunate automobile accident that caused damage to the front of Wax Trax just became even more unfortunate: We've learned from Denver Police Department spokesman Sonny Jackson that the alcohol-re ... More >>

Joshua Wittig sentenced to 10 years for heavily drugged crash that killed John Page Hines

Joshua Wittig.​Opponents of a Westminster Police drug-enforcement checkpoint note correctly that alcohol-related crashes like Department of Corrections officer Jason Ulrich's are far more prevalent those those involving narcotics. But the latter do happen, as shown by the case of Joshua Witti ... More >>

Zachariah Dobler: Murder charge for running over tow-truck driver at DUI crash while drunk

Big pic below.​It allegedly took two drunk drivers to kill Alan Dilley. The tow-truck operator was on the scene of an active DUI-crash investigation when he was struck and killed by a car piloted by Zachariah Dobler, who was reportedly drunk at the time. Criminal records show that was nothing ... More >>

Reader: Hit-and-run laws haven't stopped cowardly drivers from taking the easy way out

Tim Albo.​Family members of hit-and-run victim Tim Albo believe current laws reward drunk drivers for leaving the scene of an accident -- and they'd like to change that equation. In the meantime, asks one reader, where's that leave victims?

Hit-and-run victim Tim Albo's family seeks mandatory sentences for drunk drivers who split

Tim Albo.​Last October, Tim Albo was the victim of a hit-and-run accident that left him in a coma; companion Heather Kornman was also badly injured. And while the driver, Brandon Mondragon, was subsequently charged and convicted of the crime, his six-month sentence so frustrated Albo's family ... More >>

Eliu Montes-Garcia pleads guilty to helping Norma Vera-Nolasco in Jose Medina hit & run

Big pic below.​Four people were arrested following the hit-and-run death of Rockstar Lounge valet Jose Medina -- and last week, three of them, including Norma Vera-Nolasco, who was allegedly so drunk she didn't realize she'd run over someone, pleaded guilty. Now, the holdout, Eliu Montes-Garci ... More >>

Bump-and-run robberies in Denver: Suspect in 3 ripoffs matches description from Jeffco crime

Big sketch below.​Update: Earlier this month, we told you about a Jefferson County bump-and-run robbery, in which a thief hit a car in front of him, then stole a purse after the driver got out to check the damage. At the time, Jeffco authorities said this wasn't an isolated incident -- and now ... More >>

Joshua Wittig convicted of vehicular homicide in death of John Hines, was on pot and much more

Joshua Wittig.​The October arrest of then-eighteen-year-old Joshua Wittig in a fatal accident that killed John Page Hines, 33, was accompanied by allegations that Wittig was high on marijuana that he may have obtained by improperly claiming to be a licensed medical marijuana patient. But evide ... More >>

Marijuana & fatal crashes: Joshua Wittig update & man who died with 110 nanogram THC score

Big pic below.​Amid the controversy over a bill to set THC driving limits, and sponsor Claire Levy's views about a 5 nanogram or 8 nanogram standard, we sought out details on two of last year's most reported driving-under-the-influence-of-marijuana stories: crashes involving Joshua Wittig and ... More >>

Faison Eriven killed, Alufundi Jolaoso busted in fatal crash first called auto/pedestrian accident

Graphic below.​Update: Mere minutes after publishing a post about what was described as a fatal auto/pedestrian accident on South Buckley near East Kentucky, we received new information from the Aurora Police Department making it clear that the previous theory was incorrect. Turns out Faison E ... More >>

Martin Parras investigated for DUI, vehicular assault for hitting man also struck in hit-and-run

Big pic below.​It's simple math: Being struck by two cars is twice as bad as getting hit by one. That's what happened to a man in Lakewood Saturday night -- and while one driver, ID'd as Martin Parras, stopped (and is being investigated for DUI and vehicular assault), the other's still at larg ... More >>

Betsy Long sentenced to 15 years in wrong-way drunk-driving crash that killed Mary Warren

9News​Betsy Long, the former green-biz entrepreneur who blew a .252 blood alcohol content following a crash that killed Mary Warren, a young woman bound for the Peace Corps, pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide and more in December. But accepting responsibility didn't result in a small sentenc ... More >>

Brandon Mondragon: Just 6 months for hit and run that injured Tim Albo, Heather Kornman

Big pic below.​Prior to the hit and run that killed Rockstar Lounge valet Jose Medina, the vehicular crime that got the most attention in these parts involved the arrest of Brandon Mondragon for severely injuring Tim Albo and Heather Kornman last October. Now, Mondragon has pleaded guilty to t ... More >>

Nadine Montoya sentenced to life in prison plus extra 32 years for Burger King hit-and-run

Nadine Montoya.​ Nadine Montoya has been sentenced to life in prison without parole plus 32 years for murdering a 49-year-old Aurora woman in a hit-and-run at a Denver Burger King last May. Montoya, 27, was convicted last month. A jury found her guilty of crushing Lilian Verdonkschot with he ... More >>

Brandon Mondragon charged in hit-and-run that injured Tim Albo, Heather Kornman

Large photo below.​Update:Brandon Mondragon has been formally charged in the hit-and-run incident that badly injured Tim Albo and Heather Kornman. In addition, an arrest warrant has been released revealing that Mondragon had a passenger at the time of the crash, which took place after the two ... More >>

Jose Nevarez-Coronado, charged in traffic death of Yvonne Frye, here legally despite Post claim

Large photo below.​Yvonne Frye, 62, a much-loved professor at the Community College of Denver, was killed last week in a crash for which twenty-year-old Jose Nevarez-Coronado has been charged with vehicular homicide. Nevarez-Coronado was allegedly drunk -- but not in the country illegally, as ... More >>

Medical marijuana led to crash that killed John Page Hines?: Inside Joshua Wittig investigation

Larger photo below.​Was marijuana -- and specifically medical marijuana -- a factor in an accident involving driver Joshua Wittig, seen here, that took the life of John Page Hines, 33, early Friday morning in Thornton? This question is at the heart of an investigation currently being conducted ... More >>

Nadine Montoya guilty of first-degree murder in Burger King hit-and-run

Nadine Montoya.​Nadine Montoya has been convicted of murdering a 49-year-old Aurora woman in a hit-and-run at a Burger King last May. Montoya, 27, will likely serve life in prison for crushing Lilian Verdonkschot with her Cadillac deVille and then fleeing the scene. The altercation started w ... More >>

Sarah Trujillo formally charged with vehicular homicide in death of scooter-rider Brian Hoyle

Sarah Trujillo.​Yesterday, we told you about the Facebook tribute to Brian Hoyle, the scooter rider killed in a hit-and-run accident late Friday. Now, the woman who was allegedly behind the wheel in the crash -- Sarah Trujillo, 23 -- has been formally charged with vehicular homicide and leavin ... More >>

Brian Hoyle ID'd as scooter rider killed in hit & run, Sarah Trujillo busted on vehicular homicide

Brian Hoyle.​The scooter rider killed in a hit and run accident near the intersection of Mississippi and Broadway early on August 27 has been identified as 21-year-old Brian Hoyle, and judging by the Rest in Peace Brian J. Hoyle Facebook page that has sprung up in tribute to him, he was well-l ... More >>

Betsy Long blew a .252 after crash that killed Mary Warren: Drunk driving times three

Betsy Long in a 9News image.​Alleged wrong-way drunk driver Betsy Long, a onetime green-biz entrepreneur, faces vehicular homicide charges and more in a July 5 crash that killed Mary Warren, a 22-year old bound for the Peace Corps. And according to prosecutors, she cleared the legal .08 blood- ... More >>

Chip's Place owner killed in RTD bus crash

In just four days, RTD buses racked up three collisions that resulted in four fatalities. The latest victim? Marvin "Chip" Webb, who was riding his bicycle in Lafayette when he was struck by a bus Tuesday night. Webb, the owner of Chip's Place, had worked at Chip's Cafe, a diner at 103 North Public ... More >>

RTD's two fatal accidents in three days: "We take them very personally," spokesman says

The second accident scene, from 9News' coverage.​It's been a grim past few days for RTD. On Saturday, a bus ran a red light near East 8th Avenue and Lincoln Street, smashing into a vehicle containing Carla Miranda and Dustin Peletier, both 29, who were killed in the crash. Then, yesterday, an ... More >>

Dad hopes son's tragic story will prevent other drunk-driving deaths

Matthew Nichols' father, Mark, hopes this billboard will discourage other teens from drinking and driving​ In November 2007, Mark Nichols of Highlands Ranch sat down with his teenage son, Matthew, and one of Matthew's friends. He had a pair of dice in his hand. He told them that if he rolled a ... More >>

Mile High Murder, No. 53: Thomas William Boyle booked on vehicular homicide for Harlan Street hit and run that killed Raymond Rivera

Thomas William Boyle should have taken a cab.​Late Monday evening, Raymond Rivera, 48, tried to cross Harlan Street at Alameda Avenue. Unfortunately, he didn't make it -- and the vehicle that struck him didn't stop. According to the Lakewood Police Department, Rivera was struck by a van drive ... More >>

Mile High Murder, No. 34: Dominick Wilmer charged with vehicular homicide in deaths of Jonathan Richardson and Grace Cruthers

View Larger Map The crash that took place during the wee hours of August 15 on Titan Road near Rampart Range Road, an area captured in the graphic above (if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map"), certainly qualifies as a tragic accident. But according to the Douglas County She ... More >>

Wake-Up Call: State of the union

At the entrance to my local Safeway, just off Federal at 26th Avenue, a small plaque in the ground commemorates two grocery-store workers who were killed when a car crashed into the store's parking lot back in 1996. On a door to the store are fliers advertising job opportunities at Safeway -- evi ... More >>

Mile High Murder, No. 24: Bill Strother identified as dead man in 14954 East Elk Place homicide

View Larger Map Late on July 4, Denver Police officers responded to a call at 14954 East Elk Place in Montbello, an area captured in the graphic above (if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map"). There, they found two men suffering from gunshot wounds: one dead, one alive. Now, ... More >>

Victim identified in off-highway crash; illegal immigrant may have caused another fatal accident

The driver and passenger involved in a crash at 56th Avenue and E-470 noted in the Wednesday blog "Speed Kills in Off-Highway Crash" have been identified as Nelson Starks, 49, of Denver (who died as a result of the accident), and Frankie Biggs, 25, Starks' stepson, who was hospitalized. Then, last ... More >>

Speed kills in off-highway crash

Seat belts are important: Every car passenger should wear them. But they're not a panacea -- particularly when a vehicle traveling more than 100 MPH loses control. That's what happened yesterday afternoon at 56th Avenue east of E-470. The driver died as a result of the crash in the fifth fatal acc ... More >>

Letters from the week of April 30, 2009

Last Night...Dark Meat, Mark Mallman, Dario Rosa @ Hi-Dive

Play It Again

Two local athletes move From Tragedy to Triumph.

Best Metal Band

Tyfoid Mary

Flick Pick

Last Life in the Universe

Best New Playground

Altair Playground

Lucatini

Luca d'Italia

Best Non-Random Act of Kindness -- Parental

Caitlyn Craig Memorial Fund

Best Line Measurements

KOA's Airport Updates

Collision Course

Denver's streets are increasingly deadly. Last Mother's Day, they claimed four-year-old Alexis Dixon.

Wheels of Fortune

It's no accident that business is booming for car-wreck reconstructionists.