The media in Denver tends to cover hit-and-run accidents of the most tragic sort, such as the 2011 crash that killed Rockstar Lounge valet Jose Medina. For that reason, the public has little idea just how common it is for one of the parties involved in a collision to split the scene without facing the consequences.
How many hit-and-runs are there in Denver? We analyzed Denver Police Department traffic-accident data for the first six days of February, and by our count, a staggering 99 hit-and-runs took place over that span, including 22 of them on a single day.
Moreover, data suggests that these numbers are unremarkable, not extraordinary. And while a lot of the accidents are concentrated in downtown, no Denver roadways, be they major arterials or seemingly sleepy neighborhood streets, are immune from the problem. Bet some of the hit-and-runs happened near where you live.
According to a DPD spokesperson, the types of hit-and-runs vary widely. Some of them take place when multiple cars are driving and a smash-up takes place, potentially causing injuries or worse. Others are variations on property crimes, in which a driver hits a parked car and then vanishes without leaving a note or any kind of contact information taking responsibility for the damage.
Continue to see details about all 99 hit-and-runs from February 1-6, drawn from Denver police documents and listed in chronological order from the time they were reported. (Many of the incident times are estimates, especially in overnight hit-and-runs with no witnesses.) See them below.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1
14 HIT-AND-RUNS
02-01 07:02:00
100 BLOCK S BANNOCK ST
02-01 11:23:00
7201 E 36TH AVE
02-01 13:24:00
I70 HWYWB / N PECOS ST
02-01 17:19:00
1500 BLOCK MARKET ST
02-01 18:16:00
N DECATUR ST / W 10TH AVE
02-01 19:11:00
5000 BLOCK S WADSWORTH WAY
02-01 19:54:00
1900 BLOCK PARK AVEW
02-01 20:20:00
3050 W 49TH AVE
02-01 20:35:00
W 40TH AVE / N KING ST
02-01 21:13:00
I70 HWYWB / N WASHINGTON ST
02-01 21:58:00
1400 BLOCK N LOGAN ST
02-01 23:17:00
W TENNESSEE AVE / S TENNYSON ST
02-01 23:30:00
S LOWELL BLVD / W AMHERST AVE
02-01 23:45:00
S PATTON CT / W WALSH PL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2
22 HIT-AND-RUNS
02-02 00:34:00
I70WB RAMP / N WASHINGTON ST
02-02 00:39:00
4900 BLOCK N BRIGHTON BLVD
02-02 01:17:00
20TH ST / I25 HWYNB
02-02 05:53:00
I70 HWYWB / N NORTHFIELD QUEBEC ST
02-02 07:03:00
N QUEBEC ST / E 53RD PL
02-02 07:48:00
2500 BLOCK E BRUCE RANDOLPH AVE
02-02 08:36:00
N SYRACUSE ST / E 16TH AVE
02-02 08:46:00
2200 BLOCK E BRUCE RANDOLPH AVE
02-02 08:47:00
2500 BLK N CENTRAL PARK BLVD
02-02 08:59:00
E 23RD AVE / DENVER ZOO RD
02-02 09:10:00
6800 BLOCK E 13TH AVE
02-02 10:20:00
2300 BLOCK CHAMPA ST
02-02 10:27:00
1800 BLOCK BASSETT ST
02-02 12:09:00
3200 BLOCK N CLAY ST
02-02 12:49:00
3700 BLK E COLFAX AVE
02-02 16:26:00
2700 BLOCK W 39TH AVE
02-02 17:10:00
W 4TH AVE / N QUITMAN ST
02-02 17:26:00
900 BLK S CLAY ST
02-02 17:49:00
N BRYANT ST / W 35TH AVE
02-02 18:10:00
1600 BLOCK N GROVE ST
02-02 19:54:00
E COLFAX AVE / N ESPLANADE PKWY
02-02 20:26:00
2530 S COLORADO BLVD
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3
18 HIT-AND-RUNS
02-03 00:21:00
1100 BLOCK N MARIPOSA ST
02-03 20:20:00
I70 HWYEB / I225 HWYSB
02-03 08:14:00
16TH ST / WEWATTA ST
02-03 08:18:00
3600 BLOCK N PONTIAC ST
02-03 09:14:00
3900 BLOCK N ONEIDA ST
02-03 09:56:00
1100 BLOCK E ALAMEDA AVE
02-03 13:00:00
S SHERIDAN BLVD / W DARTMOUTH AVE
02-03 13:01:00
W 8TH AVE / N KALAMATH ST
02-03 14:56:00
S FEDERAL BLVD / W JEWELL AVE
02-03 17:06:00
N COLORADO BLVD / E 8TH AVE
02-03 17:35:00
E 11TH AVE / N COLUMBINE ST
02-03 17:47:00
200 N BROADWAY ST
02-03 17:54:00
700 BLK N COLORADO BLVD
02-03 19:16:00
2400 BLOCK S COLORADO BLVD
02-03 21:40:00
E MLK BLVD / N YORK ST
02-03 22:46:00
2700 BLOCK W CEDAR AVE
02-03 22:49:00
W 3RD AVE / N FEDERAL BLVD
02-03 23:02:00
AURARIA PKWY / 12TH ST
Continue to see the list of hit-and-runs that took place in Denver on February 4-6.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4
18 HIT-AND-RUNS
02-04 00:06:00
E 17TH AVE / N PEARL ST
02-04 01:12:00
2100 BLOCK N LAFAYETTE ST
02-04 01:20:00
E 71ST AVE / N TOWER RD
02-04 01:40:00
N ELM ST / E COLFAX AVE
02-04 02:12:00
29TH ST / CALIFORNIA ST
02-04 02:29:00
E 6TH AVE / N COLORADO BLVD
02-04 03:39:00
N OSAGE ST / W 13TH AVE
02-04 04:13:00
N SPEER BLVD / AURARIA PKWY
02-04 11:22:00
2900 BLOCK LAWRENCE ST
02-04 11:39:00
4500 BLOCK N CLAYTON ST
02-04 12:47:00
E WARREN AVE / S UNIVERSITY BLVD
02-04 13:27:00
00 BLK N WASHINGTON ST
02-04 14:52:00
1600 BLK N PONTIAC ST
02-04 17:11:00
S SHERIDAN BLVD / W YALE AVE
02-04 20:09:00
N HOLLY ST / E 4TH AVE
02-04 20:49:00
ROCKMONT DR / 19TH ST
02-04 23:30:00
S FEDERAL BLVD / W MISSISSIPPI AVE
02-04 23:48:00
W COLFAX AVE / N IRVING ST
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5
11 HIT-AND-RUNS
02-05 02:48:00
S PECOS ST / W EVANS AVE
02-05 02:50:00
2400 BLK S GAYLORD ST
02-05 02:55:00
W TENNESSEE AVE / S TENNYSON ST
02-05 04:42:00
E MONTVIEW BLVD / N DAHLIA ST
02-05 07:34:00
4400 BLK S LOWELL BLVD
02-05 08:17:00
I70 HWYWB / N HAVANA ST
02-05 10:45:00
18641 E GVR BLVD
02-05 11:33:00
N VERBENA ST / E COLFAX AVE
02-05 12:25:00
E 12TH AVE / N COLORADO BLVD
02-05 14:58:00
3700 BLOCK N MADISON ST / E 38TH AVE
02-05 18:20:00
15 S STEELE ST
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 6
16 HIT-AND-RUNS
02-06 01:01:00
2600 BLOCK S LINCOLN ST
02-06 08:01:00
4205 W COLFAX AVE
02-06 08:17:00
S FEDERAL BLVD / W WALSH PL
02-06 08:47:00
N COLORADO BLVD / E COLFAX AVE
02-06 09:31:00
N STEELE ST / E MLK BLVD
02-06 10:09:00
1653 S COLORADO BLVD
02-06 16:30:00
600 BLOCK E 6TH AVE
02-06 11:18:00
900 BLK N FEDERAL BLVD
02-06 12:49:00
1585 S COLORADO BLVD
02-06 13:42:00
11100 E DARTMOUTH AVE/ PRIVATE PROPERTY PARKING LOT
02-06 15:18:00
1323 N GILPIN ST
02-06 15:32:00
S QUEBEC ST / E YALE AVE
02-06 15:48:00
1801 MARKET ST
02-06 18:37:00
1500 BLOCK 22ND ST
02-06 21:06:00
00 BLK S WASHINGTON ST
02-06 21:20:00
11TH ST / AURARIA PKWY