ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. — A semi-truck driver has pleaded guilty after fatally striking a man in a parking lot in Arapahoe County in 2022, according to court documents.
Erick Mejia, 32, was charged in connection with the death of Guillermo Duran-Mejia. He pleaded guilty Friday to one count of leaving the scene of an accident involving death and one count of vehicular homicide, according to court documents. An assault charge was dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
The crime happened around 11:30 a.m. Dec. 28, 2022 at 1 Digicomm Drive in the Dove Valley area. According to an arrest affidavit released at the time, Mejia told an investigator that he had called Duran-Mejia for locksmith services and that there was an argument over payment. He said that during the argument, Duran-Mejia ripped up money and struck his semi-truck with an "auto theft prevention device," according to the affidavit.
At that point, Mejia said, he got into his semi. As he was driving away, he turned toward Duran-Mejia's vehicle, the affidavit said. He told investigators that he had moved that way to avoid hitting a tree, according to the document.
He told investigators that he knew he had hit Duran-Mejia's vehicle but did not initially know he had hit the victim. He looked back and saw the victim on the ground, the document said.
Mejia said he walked up to the victim and called 911, but then hung up. He said he made a second 911 call about a minute later, then made a delivery to a business and left as deputies arrived, the affidavit said.
He did not attempt to contact medical personnel or law enforcement at the scene as he left, the document said.
Investigators contacted Mejia by phone and told him to stay where he was so they could talk with him, but he instead drove south on Interstate 25, according to the affidavit. Police stopped him south of Colorado Springs.
Mejia is set to be sentenced April 19.
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