Sarah Trujillo, 24, of Denver, is accused of killing 21-year-old Brian Hoyle as he was riding on a scooter early Friday morning, police said. Trujillo was booked on suspicion of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a fatal accident, according to court records. She remains in jail on $50,000 bond.
At the time of the deadly hit and run, Trujillo was wanted on a May 24 arrest warrant for failing to serve her sentence -- 12 days of community service -- for a Feb. 5 reckless driving conviction, Denver district attorney spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough said. Trujillo was driving a red sport utility vehicle northbound on Broadway when she turned left in front of the southbound scooter, hitting the scooter and killing Hoyle, Denver police spokesman Sonny Jackson said. The deadly hit-and-run crash occurred at about 12:50 a.m. at the intersection of Mississippi Avenue. Hoyle was driving through a green light when he was struck, Jackson said.
Witnesses told police Trujillo pulled over briefly and then fled the scene westbound on Mississippi, Jackson said. The witnesses gave a good enough description of the SUV that officers were able to track the driver down shortly afterward at an apartment complex in the 300 block of Sherman Street, Jackson said.
Hoyle was pronounced dead at Denver Health Medical Center at 1:24 a.m., the medical examiner said Monday. An autopsy showed he died from a traumatic tear of the descending thoracic aorta, the largest artery in the body, which carries blood through the chest and abdomen. Hoyle's mother expressed outrage that her son died because someone was driving drunk. "For a stupid mistake that somebody made to take my son’s life, it’s just unfathomable," Kerry Walker told 7NEWS Reporter Christin Ayers Monday.
"It’s not fair. It’s not fair that she’s alive and my son’s not," the mother said. "It didn’t have to happen. It could've been prevented."
The mother said Brian was riding his scooter to visit his dad in Littleton. She was awakened by a phone call at 5 a.m. Friday. Authorities told her Brian had had an accident and summoned her to the hospital. Walker said police told her "a lady in an SUV ran the light and basically ran him over on his scooter … She stopped for a few seconds, then left the scene," Walker added.
"And they found her about 6 o'clock that morning, still drunk," Walker said.
Brian himself had struggled with alcohol, she said. He had attended Lakewood High School, but didn't graduate. Yet, Walker said her son remained a good-hearted individual who worked as a cook at Earls Restaurant in Denver. He dreamed of traveling the world and going back to school. "He was one of the most caring, loving people I know, and now his dreams are gone," Walker said. "He had so many friends and was so loved."
"The last words he said to me were: 'I love you so much mom'", Walker recounted.
The mother made an emotional plea: "Don’t drink and drive. Don’t do it."
Trujillo has a history of traffic violations. She appeared in Denver court Monday on the outstanding warrant for failing to comply with the February reckless driving sentence, a court official said. That prior case stemmed from a Dec. 13, 2009, traffic accident on South Federal Boulevard. Trujillo was initially charged with careless driving, driving with a restrained license, driving without insurance, and failure to report an accident, court records state.
Those four charges were dismissed and Trujillo pleaded guilty to reckless driving. She was sentenced to the 12 days community service and fined $421. In July 2008, Trujillo pleaded guilty to obstructing a police officer in Englewood, according to a state criminal records database. She also had two fugitive arrests for failing to appear in court on other matters.
In April 2008, Trujillo was cited for driving 15 to 19 miles over the speed limit and driving without a valid license on South Santa Fe Drive in Denver, court records state. Those charges were dismissed and she pleaded guilty to driving with a license under restraint. Trujillo was ordered to serve home detention under electronic monitoring for 10 days and completed the sentence, court records showed.
A memorial service for Hoyle will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Bear Valley Christian Church in Lakewood, his mother said.
People can contribute to a fund to pay for the slain man's funeral service by depositing a check payable to account No. 2440847024 at any TCF Bank, the mother said.
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RIP Brian Hoyle
