Ronald Keithline, ID'd as Boulder hit-and-run victim, had a habit of lying down in roadways

There's been a bizarre twist in a hit-and-run that took place near the intersection of Broadway and Baseline in Boulder over the weekend. Police reveal that the victim, identified as Ronald L. Keithline, "has been known to lie in roadways in the past."...

By Michael Roberts

March 8, 2011

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There's been a bizarre twist in a hit-and-run that took place near the intersection of Broadway and Baseline in Boulder over the weekend.

Police reveal that the victim, identified as Ronald L. Keithline, "has been known to lie in roadways in the past."

The Boulder Daily Camera offers conflicting views about what happened. Witnesses saw Keithline, described by police as a transient, lying on the road before being struck by a dark-colored SUV that stopped briefly, then sped away from the scene. However, his mother, Emily Keithline, argues that the 54-year-old had been in deteriorating physical health and speculates that he might have fallen and been unable to stand.

Whatever the case, police continue to seek the vehicle that killed Keithline. Get more information from the release below, followed by a larger look at an old Keithline booking photo and an interactive graphic showing the intersection in question; if you have problems seeing the image, click "View Larger Map."

City of Boulder release:

Boulder police release new information on fatal hit-and-run accident

Boulder police have interviewed a number of witnesses to Saturday's fatal hit-and-run accident near the intersection of Broadway and Baseline. Based on these interviews, investigators have new information on both the accident and the victim.

The accident happened in the northbound merge lane of Broadway, just north of Baseline, at about 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, 2011.

The Boulder County Coroner has identified the victim as Ronald L. Keithline (date of birth 01/31/1957). Keithline has had a number of interactions with Boulder police and has been known to lie in roadways in the past.

Witnesses who witnessed the collision say that, just prior to the accident, a red SUV stopped suddenly and swerved onto the sidewalk to go around something in the road. About 30 seconds later, they say they saw a dark-colored SUV hit Keithline. According to these witnesses, the SUV stopped for a moment, and then fled the scene.

Police are looking for a dark-colored Toyota Rav4 or Nissan Xterra-type vehicle.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call the Boulder Police Department's Traffic Supervisor at 303-441-3333.

View Larger Map

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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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