Roosevelt Cribbs, Jr. Arrested In Deadly Hit & Run Crash That Killed Saliha Sulieman
DENVER (CBS4) - A driver suspected of hitting and killing Saliha Sulieman, 44, with his Winnebago and leaving the scene, has been arrested. Roosevelt Cribbs, Jr., 67, is being held for investigation of leaving the scene of an accident involving death, according to Denver police.
Police say the victim, Saliha Sulieman, a refugee from Eritrea and mother of five, was walking at South Tejon Street and West Jewell Avenue on Wednesday when the driver of a motorhome, Cribbs, veered into oncoming lanes and then onto the sidewalk, running over Sulieman. She was taken to the hospital but did not survive.
"Everyone feels bad. Everyone is crying," Saliha Abdu, Sulieman's niece, told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "She was like a mom for everyone."
Police say Cribbs did not stop to help, and the Winnebago continued east on Jewell. Officers contacted Cribbs later at 1330 West Mississippi Avenue and he was taken to the Denver Detention Center.
"Because of him, we don't have Mom now," Abdu said.
Authorities explained, at this point in the investigation, the collision does not appear to be intentional. However, Abdu believes otherwise.
"This is not an accident because she was walking on the walk side, so who hit her came from back and hit her," she said.
Cribbs is being held at the Denver Jail and made his first court appearance Thursday morning.
Police issued a Medina Alert on Wednesday afternoon but the alert was canceled a few hours later at around 8:30 p.m. A Medina Alert is typically issued in hit-and-run crashes where there is a death or serious bodily injury and where there is a description of the suspect vehicle including the make, model partial or whole license plate number and possibly a description of the driver.
