Colorado driver turns himself in after striking, killing man walking his dog
A Colorado driver has turned himself into authorities after police say he struck and killed a man walking his dog on a sidewalk, killing both.
The driver initially fled the scene, according to police. But 73-year-old Michael Graham-Hyde turned himself in at 2:45 Friday morning, more than seven hours after the collision.
The dog died was killed immediately at the eastern intersection of East Wesley Drive and East Casparian Circle.
The pedestrian passed away at a nearby hospital. He was identified Friday by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office as 65-year-old Rafael Alberto Buitrago.
Witnesses told police that a white or silver SUV was traveling westbound at high speed on East Wesley. The driver lost control of the vehicle and hit Buitrago and his dog on the sidewalk.
Aurora PD has charged Graham-Hyde with Careless Driving Resulting in Death and Leaving the Scene of an Accident Involving Injury. The charges are a misdemeanor and felony, respectively.
The department's investigators do not believe drugs or alcohol contributed to the crash.
In an online fundraiser, a relative of Buitrago called him "a quiet, kind, and selfless man" who loved his wife and their dog, Nova.
"Their beloved Nova wasn't just a pet—she was their baby. The three of them were inseparable," Nathalie Munoz of Centennial wrote. "My aunt is now left without her two soulmates. The pain is unbearable."
