Father of cyclist killed in Colorado hit & run hopes son's death can lead to safer roads

Family and friends gathered Thursday to remember 26-year-old Arthur Williams, a cyclist who was killed in a hit-and-run in southeast Aurora last month.

 Hours before the vigil, Aurora police announced that detectives identified a vehicle of interest after receiving tips from the public.

Arthur's father, Troy Williams, says he hopes the loss of his son will one day help protect others.

"He was loving. He was kind," Williams said. "He was a hard worker. When he put his mind to something, he was going to do it and be the best at it."

Williams can tell you exactly how much time he had with his Arthur: 26 years, one month and 21 days.

He was an athlete who constantly looked for his next challenge. His father said he competed in jiu-jitsu and had been training for Ironman competitions.

"He wanted the toughest challenge to challenge his mind and his body and his spirit," Williams said.

That drive is part of the reason a late-night bicycle ride wasn't unusual for Arthur. He was training for a triathlon when he was killed.

On July 27, Arthur left home on his bicycle and was struck on South Powhaton Road near East Jewell Avenue in Aurora. The driver did not stop.

Arthur wasn't discovered until the following morning.

Williams said a doorbell camera showed Arthur leaving home around 9:15 p.m. The following morning, a driver with a dash camera reported seeing a bicycle and a shoe along the roadway around 6:30 a.m.

What haunts him most isn't anger toward the driver. It's the thought of his son being out there alone.

"I was bothered that I couldn't be there to hold him and comfort him," Williams said. "I hadn't even given the driver a thought."

Williams said he has already forgiven whoever was behind the wheel. He said holding onto anger or malice would not bring his son back.

Aurora police previously released images of the suspected vehicle, which investigators described as a white 2015 to 2019 Subaru Outback believed to have damage on the front passenger side.

On Thursday, police said tips from the community helped investigators identify a vehicle of interest. Detectives are conducting follow-up investigation, but police had not announced an arrest or publicly identified a driver as of Thursday afternoon.

Williams said he learned that a body shop may have provided information in the case.

Arthur was killed in a rapidly growing section of Aurora where new neighborhoods have brought more residents and vehicles to roads that in some places still resemble the rural routes they once were.

Aurora City Councilmember Amy Wiles, who represents Ward II, said residents regularly raise concerns about speeding and roadway infrastructure.

"A lot of our area in Ward II is really not prepared in terms of infrastructure for the crowds that live out here," Wiles said. "There's a lot of two-lane roads. There's not a lot of sidewalks, and there's not a lot of stop signs or stoplights, and so people pick up speed very quickly out here."

Wiles said speeding complaints are an ongoing, nonstop problem.

She said Aurora police have worked to increase traffic enforcement in the area. Longer-term improvements are more complicated.

"Powhaton, it's a farm road, and it's not being developed anytime soon," Wiles said.

Wiles said the city is looking at road expansions and additional traffic controls as southeast Aurora continues to grow.

"Do the right thing," she said. "This family is in pain. You can't make up for the loss and the tragedy that you did and the life you took. But you can do the right thing by coming forward and taking responsibility."

Anyone with information about the hit-and-run is asked to contact Crime Stoppers. Tipsters can remain anonymous.