In addition, a third passenger of the vehicle has been identified as Tulanda Fuka, 22. He hasn't been charged in this case, but is being held on bond for reasons the APD isn't sharing at this point. In the meantime, Jolaoso has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and careless driving resulting in death.
Confused? With luck, the latest APD release will clear things up. That's followed by our earlier coverage.
Aurora Police Department release:
Fatal Hit & Run AccidentThe Aurora Police Department is releasing additional information regarding the current status of the investigation into this fatal accident.
This morning, Traffic Detectives located the actual driver of the vehicle. They also located additional witnesses. Based on new information obtained and other evidence, it was determined that this was not an auto/pedestrian accident.
The victim was actually a passenger in the back seat of the Impala. He was seated behind the driver. None of the three occupants in the Impala were wearing seat belts. When the vehicle impacted the light pole, the victim was ejected.
The initial witnesses were actually friends of all three occupants of the vehicle. They provided false information to responding officers in an apparent effort to protect their friends.
The driver of the vehicle is identified as Alufundi Jolaoso, 21 years old, of Aurora. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death and careless driving resulting in death. He was held for bond. The front seat passenger is identified as Tulanda Fuka, 22 years old, of Aurora. He has not yet been charged with any crimes relating to this accident. He was held for bond on unrelated charges.
The victim is identified as Faison Eriven, 19 years old, of Denver.
It is possible that additional charges will be filed after the completion of the accident investigation. Detectives are also looking into pursuing charges against the initial witnesses for providing false information to Officers.
Original item, 11:32 a.m.: Why the hell did a late model Chevy Impala veer onto the sidewalk on South Buckley near Kentucky at around 10 p.m. last night?
Don't know yet -- but we know the results of this accident. A pedestrian was struck by the car and killed, after which the driver was taken into custody, and a passenger got away.
At this point, the Aurora Police Department isn't releasing the names of those involved, but they do spill some details in the following release. That's followed by an interactive graphic of the area near the scene; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."
Aurora Police Department release:
Auto/Pedestrian AccidentOn March 29, 2011, at about 10:09 P.M., Aurora Police Traffic Officers responded to an auto/pedestrian accident at the intersection of East Kentucky Avenue and South Buckley Road.
The investigation revealed that a 2010 Silver Chevrolet Impala was southbound on South Buckley Road approaching East Kentucky Avenue. At a point north of the intersection, the Impala left the roadway and drove onto the sidewalk area on the west side of the street. The Impala continued traveling south toward the northwest corner of the intersection where it struck a light pole and a male pedestrian.
When the Impala came to rest, at least two males exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot. One of the males was apprehended a short time later in the neighborhood west of the accident scene. He was subsequently determined to be the driver. The other male was not located after an extensive search.
The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital and later succumbed to his injuries.
Traffic investigators are working to determine the cause of the accident. It will take several days to determine exactly what happened.
Names of those involved are not being released pending notification of families. Further information will be released as it becomes available.
View Larger Map
More from our Colorado Crimes archive: "Jose Medina: All four people arrested in Rockstar Lounge hit and run in country illegally."
