The scene of a catastrophic crash Nov. 1, 2025 just west of East Alameda Parkway and South Chambers Road, the result of street racing and drunken driving, according to Aurora police. PHOTO VIA APD
AURORA | A second suspect in a fatal November 2025 street-racing crash now faces charges of vehicular homicide stemming from the Aurora rollover that injured two teenagers and killed a 20-year-old man, police said.
Carlos Cruz-Figueroa, 18, has been charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and engaging in a speed contest, Aurora police said in a Feb 12 social media post.
Investigators said he was the driver of one of two cars racing Nov. 1, which ended in a catastrophic crash just west of East Alameda Parkway and South Chambers Road.
Investigators said a BMW sedan driven by 19-year-old Edwin Rosales-Sandoval was racing east on Alameda from Sable Boulevard when he failed to make a curve in the road, hit a grocery store sign and rolled the car.
An unidentified 20-year-old man in the car died at the scene, police said.
Rosales-Sandoval and a 17-year-old female passenger were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said Rosales-Sandoval was driving under the influence of alcohol and on a revoked license from a prior DUI conviction.
Last week, police said they identified the driver of the second car linked to the crash as Cruz-Figueroa.
As of Monday Cruz-Figueroa was being held at the Arapahoe County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.
“Street racing is dangerous and it kills,” police said last week in a statement on social media. “Parents, talk to your teens. Teach them that a car isn’t a toy, it’s a two-ton weapon that can destroy lives in seconds. A life was lost and two others were changed forever. This crash didn’t have to happen. It was 100% preventable.”
Did Carlos Cruz-Figueroa, 18, cause the crash?
If not, why is he being charged with anything?
No seatbelts used in Edwin Rosales-Sandoval’s car? His rollover appearsurvivable if wearing seat-belts.
“Police said Rosales-Sandoval was driving under the influence of alcohol and on a revoked license from a prior DUI conviction.”
Justarting out in life and caused a death. Sad.
So-called “street racing” is part of a pervasive phenomena in our city, whereby young men are getting access to high-performance and high-noise vehicles, and using them to live out their antisocial and transgressive impulses. “Racing” is beside the point; it seems like this is evolving into a rite of passage where the object is to conduct as much petty harassment as you can get away with.