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Eliu Jiminez busted for hit-and-run after accident victim hit by two cars

Lately, the metro area has been the setting of several high-profile hit-and-runs, with suspects including an elderly man and an alleged street racer. The latest incident is a study in contrasts. A man was struck by two drivers: one who stuck around, the other -- eighteen-year-old Eliu Jiminez -- who...
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Lately, the metro area has been the setting of several high-profile hit-and-runs, with suspects including an elderly man and an alleged street racer.

The latest incident is a study in contrasts. A man was struck by two drivers: one who stuck around, the other -- eighteen-year-old Eliu Jiminez -- who fled.

It doesn't take a criminology degree to guess which one of them is in trouble with the law. Continue for details, two maps and more below.

At around 11:10 p.m. on Saturday, March 8, according to the Denver Police Department, officers responded to a fatal hit-and-run on the 3000 block of South Federal Boulevard, not far from the Dartmouth intersection. The area is captured in the following interactive graphic; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."


View Larger Map

Investigators believe the pedestrian, who has not been identified at this writing, was crossing Federal in an unknown direction when he was hit by a southbound car.

The impact tossed the victim's body into the northbound lanes, where he was struck again.

The driver of the first car reportedly remained on the scene and wasn't arrested. This suggests the preliminary conclusion that the driver couldn't have avoided hitting the pedestrian.

In contrast, the second driver, identified as Jiminez, fled -- but he didn't get far. The vehicle was quickly spotted by a Denver police helicopter, Air-1, near Iliff Avenue and Irving Street. The two streets don't actually cross, but here's an interactive graphic of a nearby intersection, Irving and South Hooker Way:


View Larger Map

This area appears to be a mile or less from the accident site.

After the second car was located, Jiminez was taken into custody on suspicion of vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal accident and, perhaps most tellingly, driving under the influence.

Here's a larger look at Jiminez's booking photo:

Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.

More from our Colorado Crimes archive circa February 18: "Oswaldo Lopez allegedly street racing when he killed Mikey Espinoza in hit-and-run."

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