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Denver college student struck by hit-and-run driver hopes to reconnect with good Samaritans

Student sustained a concussion, other injuries
Denver college student struck by hit-and-run driver hopes to reconnect with good Samaritans
Posted at 6:24 PM, Nov 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-11-30 08:42:23-05

DENVER — A Denver college student left with a concussion and broken body parts after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver hopes to reconnect with the good Samaritans that stayed on scene until EMS arrived.

"For them to act and do something so heroic is really impactful. We need more people like them around," Nathan Kealey said.

Kealey remembered the couple as a man and woman named Frank and Lorraine.

On Nov. 14 around 2:30 p.m., the college student was skateboarding near the intersection of W. 35th Avenue and Osage Street when the crash happened.

"Unfortunately where I was coming down, there's kind of an intense hill there. ... I hadn't seen anybody at the intersection when I looked initially. Then when I passed through, it got a little bit hazy and the guy was right there, so I got hit pretty hard," he said.

Kealey said the impact of the crash knocked him into the car's windshield and up into the air before he came crashing to the ground.

He described the car as a Chrysler silver minivan.

"I ended up with 25 stitches and staples," he said.

The 24-year-old is also recovering from a concussion and broken heel.

According to Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-1602, 42-4-1603 and 42-4-1606, even if a pedestrian or cyclist fails to correctly follow traffic signals, a driver involved in a pedestrian collision must remain or return to the scene and call police.

Denver police told Denver7 the driver of the silver minivan who struck Kealey could still face charges, which include penalties of two to six years in prison and fines from $2,000 to $500,000.

"We all make mistakes, so I don't really even blame them for hitting me. But I think if they had stopped, it would've made a huge difference," Kealey said.

Now, he and his loved ones hope to reconnect with the couple who stopped at the scene to thank them.

"They held his hand, and they were there to keep him awake and make sure he was stable, and (they) called 911," said Elizabeth Kealey, the young man's mother.