AURORA, Colo. (KDVR) — Aurora’s police chief sat down with FOX31 after his vehicle was sideswiped by a suspected DUI driver.
Police say Chief Art Acevedo was driving a city-owned black SUV at around 5:30 p.m. Sunday when he was hit near Fitzsimmons Parkway and Peoria Street.
“I was on my way to the District 1 office to visit with the folks and to pick up my body-worn camera that I had left there earlier in the day when this van just came across the double yellow lines, sideswiped me,” Acevedo said, adding, “I was in shock, you know. I’ve been hit before in my career but it had been quite a while, and I see he just keeps going.”
Acevedo’s city SUV does not have lights, sirens or dash cameras, but while on the phone with dispatch, he said he was able to follow the hit-and-run driver until Denver police officers arrived and arrested the man.
Aurora police chief urges strong DUI enforcement
Miguel Ramirez, 27, was taken into custody. According to APD, Ramirez is facing charges of DUI, leaving the scene of a crash, careless driving and driving without a license.
“Drunk drivers, they don’t discriminate, and we should demand that our police departments actually enforce the law,” Acevedo said. “If someone violates the law and they’re doing something that’s unsafe driving, you make the stop. Take the enforcement action, because when we don’t, what we’re seeing is just death and destruction on our roads, and this is an illustration of that.”
In 2022, the Colorado Department of Transportation reports that 745 lives were lost to traffic fatalities, the most roadway deaths in the state since 1981.
APD reports that 50 people died in Aurora crashes last year.