Colorado family calls for answers after 23 year old killed in hit-and-run in Aurora: "He didn't deserve that"

A Colorado family is pleading for accountability after a 23-year-old man was killed in a crosswalk on Thursday. Aurora police believe Lennard Dawson Jr. was struck by three separate vehicles. Two of the drivers didn't stop.

Police say the crash happened just before midnight at a signal-controlled crosswalk along the Unnamed Creek Trail at South Tower Road. The third driver remained at the scene and is cooperating with investigators.

Dawson later died at the hospital.

At a vigil Monday night at Highland Hollows Park, Dawson's loved ones gathered to mourn and remember a young man they described as warm, generous, and always smiling.

"He would talk to everybody," said his sister, Kelia Brown. "Good or bad days, he always had a smile. He was a great dad. He helped his son learn everything. I feel like I lost my twin."

Brown said she learned about the crash in the middle of the night and hasn't slept much since. The family lives roughly 10 minutes from the crash site.

What haunts her most is that two drivers didn't stop.

"I was so angry," she said. "If you're going to leave, at least move him out of the street. He didn't deserve that."

Dawson's nephew, Nassir Bandy, said he modeled nearly everything he did after his uncle.

"I wanted to be just like him," Bandy said. "He was my role model. I played basketball because he played basketball. I wanted dreads because he had dreads. I was so mad when he cut them."

He urged the drivers responsible to come forward.

"Take accountability for your actions. Come clean," he said. "Whatever's done in the dark will come to light."

Monday afternoon, dozens of relatives, friends, and neighbors came out, holding candles and singing hymns.

The crash marks the 19th pedestrian death in Aurora this year, part of a growing concern citywide about speeding and reckless driving.

"People in Aurora and Denver can't drive," Brown said. "Illegal lane changes, no blinkers, speeding, it's constant. We need better driving schools or something. They're giving licenses to anybody."

Bandy agreed, calling many crashes "preventable mistakes."

In a statement, the City of Aurora said it's analyzing the incident as part of its ongoing traffic safety efforts:

"Any loss of life is a tragedy. Public Works is looking into this specific incident as it relates to traffic data. The Aurora Police Department continues to investigate. Aurora's Public Works Department is working on a Safety Action Plan, evaluating safety and making recommendations across the city. The plan will be completed early next year."

For Dawson's family, the grief is compounded by the questions that remain, including whether he might have survived had the first two drivers stopped to help.

"He was a blessing," Brown said. "A light to life. The biggest star in the universe. We will get justice for Lennard."

Anyone with information about the drivers involved is urged to contact the Aurora Police Department.