Crime & Safety
Fatal I-25 Motorcycle Hit & Run: Driver Smoked Crystal Meth, Cops
Jonathan Ortiz, 39, allegedly fatally struck a 53-year-old motorcyclist on the expressway after having consumed crystal meth, police said.
DENVER, CO -- A driver who crashed into a motorcyclist on I-25, killing him, and then drove away, has been charged in connection with the man's death. Jonathan Ortiz, 39, was charged with vehicular homicide-DUI and leaving the scene of an accident, the Denver District Attorney's office said.
Just after midnight on April 28, on I-25 and the I-70 northbound ramp Ortiz, driving a Honda Ridgeline pickup truck, allegedly sideswiped another vehicle, then crashed into a motorcyclist. The 53-year-old motorcyclist was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Ortiz allegedly sped away, and police found him, and his truck, at 46th and York.
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The police officer noticed Ortiz "exhibited signs of impairment, including loud speech that made no sense, a chemical odor to his breath, and bloodshot eyes," the DA's office said in a statement. Ortiz allegedly admitted to smoking crystal meth before the crash.
Ortiz is scheduled to appear in court May 7.
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Image via Denver District Attorney's Office
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