Earlier this month, a motorist was killed in a collision that occurred near Brighton Blvd. on Interstate 70. A 57-year-old semitruck driver died at the scene of the inferno that ensued after a pickup truck driver merged into the path of an eastbound 18-wheeler.
The accident occurred shortly before midnight on Saturday, March 5. As reported by local NBC affiliate KUSA-TV, after the initial impact, one vehicle then slammed into the Jersey barrier.
The suspect driver fled the scene
Officials with the Denver Police Department (DPT) stated that the pickup truck driver fled on foot from the scene of the fatal crash that left both lanes shut down. The westbound lanes reopened around 3:30 p.m. the following afternoon.
Police located the 26-year-old pickup truck driver at his home. He allegedly had the odor of alcohol on his breath, had slurred speech and failed a sobriety test. He was charged with felony hit and run and vehicular homicide. Results are pending on the blood sample he submitted.
2 paths to justice
The allegedly drunk pickup truck driver appears to have to face the consequences of his poor judgment and deadly choice to drink alcohol and climb behind the wheel of his vehicle. Other reports indicate that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials seek to deport him as well.
Survivors of the semitruck driver who died in the fiery crash have an additional option for holding the driver legally liable for the loss of their loved one, as well as any accident-related medical or funeral costs and the pain and suffering he experienced prior to his death.
Initiating a claim for damages against the driver’s insurance company is the first step in the process of wrongful death litigation filed in the Colorado civil courts.