DENVER — An employee at a Denver auto business has a long road to recovery ahead of him after he was run over last week by a man who stole a Jeep and has yet to be located.
"Had it been 6 inches that he fell differently, the vehicle would have crossed his chest and he would have died instantly," said Justin Franks, the owner of Cherry Creek Automotive.
The incident happened about 5:45 p.m. June 24, according to Denver Police.
Franks said a man came into the business on East Colfax Avenue and wanted to listen to the Jeep's engine.
"You wouldn’t think that you’d need to ask for someone’s identification to start a car," Franks said. "We have a process when we go for a test drive to get insurance and identification from an individual, but he indicated that he didn’t want to drive the vehicle, he just wanted to hear it."
He said the injured employee got the keys and started the vehicle for the man and then moved to the front of the vehicle so that he could unlatch and open the hood.
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As he did that, the man suddenly drove the Jeep forward, Franks said.
"My salesperson grabbed on," he said. "He wasn't trying to stop the vehicle but just trying to avoid getting run over, and he got carried on the front of the vehicle."
Shortly after the vehicle exited the parking lot, the employee fell off the Jeep and was run over. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of internal bleeding and multiple broken bones.
"He's got a long road to recovery. It's going to be several, several months before he walks," Franks said. "He’s got a good attitude about it though. I’ve spent a lot of time with him the last few days, and I just hope he can make a full recovery. It’s going to be hard."
The suspect was described by the victim as a white or Hispanic man about 6 feet tall with a heavy build. He was wearing a black shirt with the number five on the back, blue jeans and sneakers. The man is bald and had a tattoo along the back of his neck.
"This person needs to be held accountable for their actions, and I just hope that he gets caught," Franks said.
The suspect left the business in the stolen white 2015 Jeep Wrangler with a black top and oversized tires. It did not have license plates on it; however, it has some distinctive features, including an ARB front bumper and a Colorado flag.
Franks said the injured employee had worked there for about four and half years and described him as a "really good guy."
"I think you have no idea what type of injuries you caused," Franks said about the suspect. "I don't think this individual knows if my employee survived it."
Franks created a GoFundMe for his employee.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 or visit metrodenvercrimestoppers.com. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $2,000.
Metro Denver Crime Stoppers works by assigning a code to people who anonymously submit a tip. Information is shared with law enforcement, and Crime Stoppers is notified at the conclusion of the investigation.
From there, an awards committee reviews the information provided and, if the information leads to an arrest, the tipster will be notified. Rewards can be collected using the code numbers received when the tip was originally submitted.
> More information about Metro Denver Crime Stoppers can be found here.
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