AURORA | Three people were killed in separate traffic crashes across Aurora over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, according to information released by the Aurora Police Department.
The deadly spate began at about 9:45 p.m. July 2 when authorities were alerted to a rollover crash near North Airport Boulevard and East Eighth Avenue, according to Police Lt. Chris Amsler.
Investigators believe the driver of a white Honda CRV rolled off the right side of Airport, causing both the driver and a single passenger to be ejected, police said.
The female passenger later died at a local hospital, officials said. The person is expected to be identified by the Adams County Coroner’s Office in the coming days.
The driver, who investigators believe may have been drunk and speeding at the time of the single-car crash, who was still hospitalized recovering from their injuries as of July 3, according to a news release. It’s unclear if any criminal charges have been levied against the person.
Two days later, a female passenger was killed when the driver of a Chevy Avalanche struck her vehicle near the intersection of Del Mar Parkway and Havana Street.
Police said the woman who was killed was traveling south on Havana with a man driving a Nissan Rogue when the driver of the Avalanche crossed the centerline and collided with the Nissan head-on.
The driver of the Nissan was also seriously injured, but remained alive as of Monday morning. The woman who was killed is expected to be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office in the coming days.
Three people who were inside the Avalanche at the time of the crash fled the area on foot, police said. They remained at large as of Monday morning.
A Chrysler minivan also became ensnared in the crash, though no occupants of that vehicle were injured, police said.
Havana Street was closed for several hours as investigators canvassed the area.
On Monday morning, police said that a person was killed in a single-car crash on the offramp of northbound Interstate 225 at the exit for East Colfax Avenue.
Authorities later clarified that a man driving a moving truck that was hauling a car likely had a “medical incident” before striking the nearby overpass and a road sign.
The man died a short time later, and the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office is expected to identify him in the coming days.
The ramp was closed to traffic as authorities processed the scene.
Through May 20, 193 people had died on Colorado roadways, marking a 12% increase compared to the first five months of last year.
The state saw a 3% increase in traffic crashes in 2020 despite a significant decrease in traffic volumes due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In Aurora, 36 people were killed on local roadways last year, making 2020 the deadliest in terms of traffic fatalities in the city in modern history, according to Aurora Police Department data.