ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — A passenger asked a driver to slow down as he sped down S. Broadway in Englewood on June 4 before the driver hit a man crossing the street, flipped the car into a business, and then ran from the scene, leaving the deceased man and his passengers behind, according to an arrest affidavit.
Edwin Solano, 20, of Thornton, turned himself in on Sunday after police got a warrant for his arrest on charges of failing to remain at the scene of a crash involving death and two counts of failing to remain at the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury.
On June 4 around 9:30 a.m., an Englewood police sergeant called a detective and told her about a fatal crash at 4455 S. Broadway, where a man had been struck by the vehicle, which then crashed into a building and rolled multiple times. The crash left two females injured — both who were in the car — and the driver ran from the scene, according to an arrest affidavit.
When the detective arrived at the crash scene, she learned that at 8:37 a.m., the driver of a gray BMW 335i with Arizona temporary license plates was traveling southbound on S. Broadway along the 4400 block when a man, later identified as John Alex Lucero Jr., 53, started walking across the street with his bike. The driver of the BMW hit Lucero and then crashed into Englewood Locksmith, according to Solano's arrest affidavit.
Police had found Lucero deceased inside the business.
Officers learned that the BMW was registered to Solano. The two injured females were transported to a hospital for their injuries. Officers found a firearm while searching the car, according to the affidavit.
Multiple witnesses told police they saw a man in dark clothing crawl out of the vehicle and run away from the crash. One person said he saw the crash and "watched the bike go flying through the air," according to the affidavit. He asked the driver if he was OK when he crawled out and saw a cut on his forehead. He said he didn't see the car coming, but heard the engine, and it sounded like it was moving fast.
Another witness said he saw the vehicle hit the building and flip, and watched as the driver got out and walked around the car as if to check on the passengers before he ran from the scene. The witness said he saw one woman's leg pinned under the car, according to the affidavit. He also provided video of the incident.
Based on that video, police believed the man had a small build and black hair. He was wearing black pants, a black shirt with white lettering, and white shoes. One witness told police he appeared to be between 18 and 23 years old.
A woman who was standing nearby was struck by the debris from the crash. She saw Lucero walking his bike across the street and then saw the BMW swerve, "believing it was trying to avoid John in the street" and then heard the crash, according to the affidavit. She had minor cuts and bruising to her legs from the debris.
Police began talking with local businesses to gather surveillance footage. They were successful at their second stop, where an outdoor camera had captured the entire crash, according to the affidavit.
While officers continued working at the scene, one officer went to Swedish Medical Center with the two injured female teenagers, ages 17 and 18. One was initially not cooperative and did not want to speak with officers. The other woman offered up some information.
She said she was a passenger in the car and a man was driving. She said his name was Eric, but she didn't know his last name. She said the man, who owned the car, was driving erratically and they crashed because "he was driving really, really fast," she told him to slow down, and then "she was upside down," according to the affidavit.
Officers were able to talk with the second woman afterward, who said she was also a passenger and did not remember who was driving. She told police she was a little drunk and had not been wearing a seatbelt.
A surgeon told police that one of the teens would need spinal surgery and may never feel or get full use of her legs again, according to the affidavit.
Police spoke with one of the injured teens' friends, who said Solano was also good to their friend group and was surprised he had left them after the crash. One of the teens' sisters said Solano ran possibly because he's "always carrying stuff with him," and it was confirmed later that by stuff, she meant guns, according to the affidavit.
Based on these facts, a request was submitted for an arrest warrant for Solano.
He turned himself in on Sunday.
