DENVER – The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner on Wednesday identified the man hit and killed by a driver early Monday as he and others rode scooters in downtown Denver.
Christopher Patton, 26, died after being taken to Denver Health following the hit-and-run crash around 1:30 a.m. Monday at 14th Street and Arapahoe Street. The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner said Wednesday his cause of death was from blunt force injuries.
Denver police told Denver7 on Tuesday that they continue to investigate the deadly hit-and-run crash and that they were looking for information about the crash, the driver or the suspect vehicle. They said they did not have a description of the driver either amid unsubstantiated social media rumors involving the crash.
On Monday, following the crash, police and Crime Stoppers said that a silver, two-door 2005-10 Chevrolet Cobalt was the vehicle involved in the crash and that it fled westbound on Arapahoe St. to Speer Blvd.
The vehicle had damage on the front grill, hood and windshield and would be missing its passenger-side mirror cover, the authorities said.
According to Denver police, Patton was among four people riding scooters on Arapahoe Street toward 14th when the vehicle veered into the left lane, where the scooter riders were trying to turn left, and hit two of them. Police said Tuesday it was not clear whether the driver hit the scooter riders intentionally.
DPD Traffic Investigations Unit Lt. Robert Rock said one man, later identified as Patton, was thrown to the sidewalk and that another man, who has not been identified by police, was seriously injured. The other two people were not injured.
Police said Monday that the driver would be sought on vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a crash resulting in death charges.
Anyone with information about the crash, the vehicle or the driver is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
