Denver metro area sees 2 hit-and-run crashes involving pedestrians; 1 turns deadly

The Denver metro area saw at least two hit-and-run crashes where a pedestrian was struck over the last 24 hours. One of them died of their injuries.

In Lakewood, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle at Kipling Street and West 23rd Avenue around 7:30 p.m. Friday. The driver in that crash fled the scene, according to police, and the victim died. Neither party has been identified yet and the driver remains at large.

Around 2:30 p.m., Lakewood police and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation issued a Medina Alert for the suspect's vehicle; a black 2014 Chevrolet Camaro with heavy front-end damage and Colorado license plate DWBP87. Police described it as a missing driver's side headlight and damage to the windshield.

And in Denver, an early morning crash near Interstate 25 and East 50th Avenue left a pedestrian with serious injuries after that person was crossing the highway. The driver, like the one in Lakewood, in that crash also fled, but was later found and arrested. They've also not yet been identified.

According to data from Colorado State Patrol, hit-and-run crashes saw an increase across the state last year versus the year prior, going from 2,100 to 2,253. It was also the deadliest year for pedestrians and cyclists involved in crashes. The Colorado Department of Transportation says pedestrian deaths in Colorado have surged by 96% in the last decade and over 70% of pedestrian deaths occur when it's dark out.