BRIGHTON, Colo. — Brighton Police said a suspect who ran from a fatal crash early Saturday is in custody.
At 4:45 a.m. Saturday, the Brighton Police Department (BPD) were called to a crash near Highway 85 and East 144th Avenue. Police said the driver of a BMW sedan was driving south on Highway 85 at excessive speeds when they crashed into the back of a Jeep Cherokee.
Police said both vehicles caught fire from the impact. The driver of the BMW sedan ran from the scene of the crash. When police arrived, they found the driver of the Jeep Cherokee, who they determined was dead, BPD said. No additional passengers were found in the vehicle.
Highway 85 was shut down in both directions on Saturday morning as police investigated the crash. BPD called in help from the Adams County Sheriff's Office K9 team to look for the suspect.
BPD said a citizen called 911 after seeing a suspicious person. Just over a mile from the crash scene, the K9 team was able to locate the suspect, police said.
The suspect was transported to the hospital and then later booked into the Adams County jail. The suspect, identified as 19-year-old Christian Pasillas, was charged with vehicular homicide and failure to remain on the scene of an accident involving death.
Brighton Police determined that speed and alcohol were contributing factors in the crash.
The identity of the deceased victim will be released by the Adams County Coroner’s Office once their next of kin is notified.
Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact the Brighton Tip Line at 303-655-8740.
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