LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Charges have been filed against the man accused of causing a crash that killed two people in Lakewood earlier this month.
According to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, William Lloyd Jokay-Szilagji, 27, is charged with 20 counts. Charges include two counts of vehicular homicide, four counts of first-degree assault, four counts of vehicular eluding, aggravated motor vehicle theft, second-degree assault of a peace officer and possession of a controlled substance.
About 1:45 a.m. on May 19, Lakewood police responded to 12350 W. Nevada Place on the report of a suspicious person.
According to the arrest affidavit, when officers arrived, they saw a Toyota 4Runner in the parking lot with the engine running.
A male wearing all black then ran up to the SUV. Officers told him to stop, but he ignored them and got inside the Toyota.
“The driver of the 4Runner backed into the police cruiser, then alternated between hitting a fence in front of him and the police cruiser behind him until he broke free and got away,” the DA’s office said.
A Lakewood officer was injured and a police vehicle was damaged.
The 4Runner then allegedly left the parking lot at 857 S. Van Gordon Ct. and turned off its lights. Officers lost sight of the SUV but said they thought it was headed one block east toward Alameda.
Minutes later, two Lakewood officers saw the 4Runner run a red light and crash into a Nissan at the intersection of Alameda and Kipling.
Both the driver of the Nissan, 26-year-old Jacob Bowen, and his passenger, 30-year-old Jesse Edmonds, were killed.
Jokay-Szilagji and his two female passengers were injured. As of Thursday, Jokay-Szilagji remained in the hospital.
His bond was set at $1 million.
A court advisement date will be set for Jokay-Szilagji when he is released from the hospital.