See Where Every Denver Traffic Death Has Happened in 2022 So Far

Most of the fatalities are clustered near I-25.

April 5, 2022

Image: The scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard on April 1.

The scene of a fatal hit-and-run crash near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Colorado Boulevard on April 1. Courtesy of 9News

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In 2021, according to the Denver Police Department, the Mile High City suffered 84 traffic fatalities — by far the most since the launch of Vision Zero, a five-year action plan dedicated to "eliminating traffic deaths and serious injuries by making our roadways safer for everyone" by 2030. And 2022 could be even worse.

The DPD confirmed fifteen traffic fatalities through the first three months of this year, two more than at the same time in 2021 — and there have already been another two traffic deaths in the first days of April.

According to data collected by Denver Streets Partnership, 382 traffic fatalities occurred in the city from February 17, 2016, the date Denver officially committed to Vision Zero, and the start of 2022. The seventeen fatalities since then brings the total to 399.

The 84 traffic deaths in 2021 didn't represent an all-time record; Denver police counted 100 in 1969. But in January, the DPD provided numbers for each year since 2010, when the total fatality count was 42, exactly half the number last year. In 2019, the decade topped out with 71 deaths — thirteen fatalities fewer than in 2021. Here's the 2010-2021 rundown.

2010: 42
2011: 41
2012: 40
2013: 47
2014: 49
2015: 57
2016: 61
2017: 51
2018: 64
2019: 71
2020: 57
2021: 84

The first fatality of 2022 occurred on January 11, with two more following later that month. Six traffic deaths happened in both February and March, while two took place on April 1: a fatal hit-and-run crash involving two automobiles near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. and Colorado boulevards, and a collision involving a motorist and a pedestrian near Speer Boulevard and Broadway.

The seventeen crashes in 2022 so far have resulted in criminal charges either being pressed or pending in at least seven instances — among them two classified as hit-and-runs. Prosecution has been declined by the Denver District Attorney's Office in two others. Most of the accidents involved either single-car incidents or autos striking autos, but five were associated with cars that struck pedestrians — and in one case, a pedestrian was killed by a train.

Here's a map showing where all seventeen fatalities in 2022 happened; the majority are clustered along the Interstate 25 corridor. Click on each pin to get additional details, including the date, the name of the victim if available, the type of vehicles involved and information about criminal charges.
See the list of 2022 fatalities, in chronological order.

1. January 11, 2022
Victim: Paul Hobrecht
5200 block of Peña Boulevard
Auto/Rollover
Criminal charges: None

2, January 14, 2022
Victim: Patricia Young
East Alameda Avenue/South Dayton Street
Auto/Auto
Criminal charges: Careless driving with death

3. January 21, 2022
Victim: Matthew Goodman
1800 block of South Federal Boulevard
Pedestrian/Auto
Criminal charges: Declined

4. February 6, 2022
Victim: Joaquin Romero
600 block of South Eliot Street
Auto/Pedestrian
Hit and Run
Charges: Pending

5. February 6, 2022
Victim: Steven Aguilar
Northbound I-25/Colfax Avenue
Auto/Rollover
Charges: None

6. February 9, 2022
Victim: Jeffrey Jones
3700 Park Avenue West
Pedestrian/Train

7. February 12, 2022
Victim: Oscar Chiccon
North Williams Street/East 31st Avenue
Auto/Auto
Charges: Careless driving with death

8. February 25, 2022
Victim: Mary Vaccaro
North Tower Road/East 69th Avenue
Auto/Pedestrian
Charges: Pending

9. February 26, 2022
Victim: Kevin Maczo-Hernandez
1200 block of South Santa Fe Drive
Auto/Rollover

10. March 2, 2022
Victim: Jaime Gonzalez-Valdez
Leetsdale Drive/South Monaco Parkway
Motorcycle/Auto

11. March 3, 2022
Victim: April Mata
Southbound I-25/West Eighth Avenue
Auto/Rollover
Charges: Careless driving with death

12, March 12, 2022
Victim: Joshua Jones
Northbound I-25/West Alameda Avenue
Pedestrian/Auto
Charges: Pending

13. March 23, 2022
Victim: Michael Lewis
Southbound I-25/West 13th Avenue
Pedestrian/Auto
Charges: Pending

14. March 24, 2022
Victim: Daniel Rubio
West 5th Avenue/North Kalamath Street
Auto/Rollover
Charges: Careless driving with death

15. March 28, 2022
Victim: Dennis Neely
West Alameda Avenue/South Sheridan Boulevard
Auto/Rollover
Charges: Pending

16. April 1, 2022
Victim: Rodolfo Rivera
East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard/Colorado Boulevard
Auto/Auto
Hit and Run
Charges: Pending

17. April 1, 2022
Victim: Anthony Yagovane
Speer Boulevard/North Broadway Street
Auto/Pedestrian
Charges: Pending

If you have information about any of the incidents in which criminal charges have been pressed or are pending, contact Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (6787).

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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