AURORA | Multiple drivers struck and killed a pedestrian walking along East Smith Road in far north Aurora Wednesday evening, according to Aurora police.
Officers were dispatched to the 18900 block of East Smith Road around 5:45 p.m. Dec. 4 on reports that several vehicles had struck a person walking in the area, police said.
Investigators eventually determined an unidentified man was struck by as many as three vehicles, though only drivers from two of the vehicles remained at the scene, according to Lt. Jad Lanigan, spokesman for the Aurora Police Department. Police believe a third driver may have struck the pedestrian, but left the area before first responders arrived.
Police said the two drivers who stayed at the scene are “assisting with the investigation,” but did not specify whether any criminal charges have been recommended. Lanigan said possible charges will not be determined until an autopsy and toxicology results are released, which can take several months.
Lanigan said investigators are optimistic the possible third driver involved in the collision may contact police after realizing they may have struck a person.
“It literally just looked there was debris on the road, so they might not even know if they did anything wrong,” Lanigan said of the driver. “The hope is they might get home and realize they might have some damage and realize this might have happened and call us up.”
The unidentified man died at a local hospital shortly after the collision, police said. The Adams County Coroner’s Office is expected to identify the person in the coming days.
The death marks the 30th traffic-related fatality in the city this year, according to police. At least 10 of those deaths have involved pedestrians.
