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Police searching for driver involved in hit-and-run that killed toddler in Colorado

By
Christa Swanson
Digital Media Producer
Christa Swanson is a Digital Media Producer at CBS Colorado in Denver.
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Christa Swanson

/ CBS Colorado

Police are searching for the person responsible for a hit-and-run that killed a toddler in the Colorado town of Erie.

According to the , the crash took place around 4:40 p.m. Sunday in the neighborhood area east of Mountain View Blvd and north of Village Vista Drive. They said the driver fled the scene of the crash.

First responders arrived to find a two-year-old child suffering from serious injuries. Despite life-saving efforts, the child died.

"Leaving the scene of a crash—especially one involving injury or loss of life—is both unlawful and deeply troubling. We urge the individual involved to come forward," the EPD said.

The department asked anyone with information on the crash to contact them at (303) 441-4444.

In response to requests for more information, Erie Police Chief Lee Mathis said:

"One of the things we strive to do here at the Erie Police Department is to be as transparent as possible with the community regarding what is going on in Town. Our intention is never to cause discomfort or discord among anyone, but simply to inform, as best we can, regarding what is happening in town. We are very conscious about not revealing specific identifying information regarding victims and try to respect everyone's privacy as much as possible. When an event occurs which garners significant public attention due to large police response, we try to clarify the facts for those who might be worried or scared about what happened. Unfortunately, this particular crash, garnered significant public attention and necessitated our department put out a statement with the basic facts of the incident.

As a department we generally allow comments on our posts and restricting, deleting, or censoring them could be determined to be restricting someone's free speech and interpreted by a court to be a first amendment violation. We do not allow threats or obviously obscene language in the comments, and this type of filtering has been upheld in the courts. As far as posting about the ordinances regarding vehicles allowed on the roadway, we felt it was important for awareness in the community regarding what is and is not legal to operate on sidewalks, trails, and roadways. Questions regarding this topic were brought to our attention both through social media and other lines of communication. I am not inclined to remove that language at this time as I feel it is important as many people as possible have that information going forward.

I will end with my deepest sympathies for the young boy and his family in this case. As a parent of two grown sons, I cannot imagine the anguish, sorrow and pain they are going through right now. The boy and his family will remain on my mind and in my prayers for the best possible outcome. Rest assured, we as a police department, will do everything we can to prevent another tragedy like this from occurring in our community."

Police added that this is the second fatal crash today, and the third serious crash in the community this week.

Early Sunday morning, an 18-year-old was killed when Erie police say he was speeding on Erie Parkway, then crossed the median and struck the bridge guardrail.

The EPD urged drivers to slow down and remain alert.

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