Driver arrested after deadly hit-and-run crash in Denver near Quebec Street, police say
A man has been arrested and faces charges of vehicular homicide after Denver police say he struck a pedestrian, killing them, and driving away.
The crash was reported around 11 p.m. Saturday in the 3600 block of North Quebec Street.
Sunday morning, Denver police say 49-year-old Calistro Ortega-Uribe was arrested. Investigators are now working to determine if he was under the influence when he allegedly struck the pedestrian.
That pedestrian has not yet been identified and police say the crash is still under investigation.
An arrest report obtained by CBS News Colorado on Monday indicates that Ortega-Uribe was driving north on Quebec when he allegedly struck the pedestrian, whose name was redacted from the report. He then told witnesses he would turn around, but drove away, witnesses told investigators.
The pedestrian was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.
Traffic cameras captured Ortega-Uribe's license plate, which showed a Commerce City address, police said. Investigators went to that address and found the vehicle seen on the cameras and described by witnesses. The vehicle was seen in a nearby parking lot that wasn't connected to the building where Ortega-Uribe lived and investigators said they noticed damage consistent with the crash.
Ortega-Uribe spoke to investigators when they knocked on his door, but details on what he said or did in that interview were redacted from the arrest report. Police did report, however, that they noticed a "strong odor" of alcohol on Ortega-Uribe's breath and that he had "thick" speech and bloodshot and watery eyes.
Police say he failed a field sobriety test and a warrant was issued to draw his blood. Results of his blood test are pending.
While being booked into the Denver Detention Center, police say a folded dollar bill with white powder that they suspect is cocaine was found in Ortega-Uribe's wallet.
Denver police say Ortega-Uribe has a previous conviction out of Arapahoe County related to hit-and-run while under the influence of alcohol, but records couldn't be located related to that case.
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story misspelled Ortega-Uribe's first name, based on information received from the Denver Police Department.
