• Font Size    
E-mail

Close Window E-mail This Page

Police ID 3 Killed In Ice Cream Parlor Hit & Run

Required fields are marked with an asterisk(*)

The information you provide will be used only to send the requested e-mail and will not be used to send any other e-mail communications. Read more in our Privacy Policy

Send E-mail

   Print     Share +   
Sep 5, 2008 7:11 pm US/Mountain

Police ID 3 Killed In Ice Cream Parlor Hit & Run

AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) ― Three people were killed, including a toddler, after an SUV crashed into a pickup and shoved it into an ice cream shop in Aurora.

Witnesses said the SUV was traveling southbound on South Havana
when it broadsided the Mazda truck while it was turning left on East Mississippi Thursday night at about 8 p.m.

The Mazda hit a utility box, which crashed through the wall of a Baskin Robbins store and struck and killed 2-year-old Marten Kudlis. Kudlis, of Aurora, was inside Baskin Robbins with his parents.

The two women in the pickup, Patricia Guntharp, 49, of Centennial, and Debra Serecky, 51, of Aurora, were also killed.

Several others were hurt: Haley Tepe, 43, of Aurora, Margaret Raines, 41, of Englewood, and Nimra Bulhari, 10.

Tom Rudy, who owns a liquor store nearby, said he heard a loud crash, called 911 and then went to help.

"It was like an explosion, and then there was dust flying everywhere," he said.

Police say the driver ran away, but Francis Hernandez, 23, of Denver was arrested a short time later on suspicion of leaving the scene of an accident. He was being held under $10,000 bail and tentatively charged with the following:

-- 3 counts of vehicular homicide
-- 3 counts of hit & run
-- Single counts of reckless driving and vehicular assault
-- No valid operators license
-- No proof of insurance

CBS4's Rick Sallinger reported that Hernandez has a long criminal record.

Aurora police Lt. John Sopranuk said the SUV may have run a red light before colliding with the pickup. Police said the driver was the only occupant of the SUV.

Family and friends of the victims gathered at the scene Friday and there were many hugs and tears.

Kudlis' day care provider stopped by the scene and lit a candle at a make-shift memorial. Others left flowers at the growing memorial.

"I have a child of my own, and I just hope they knew the Lord," said Gina Booker, an area resident. "It is just sad, because I live in this area and shop at this store all the time. It's just sad to see what happened."

Patricia Guntharp's husband Bob told CBS4 she was a mother of three. He said she went way before her time.

Baskin Robbins store owner Jason Pierce said he was shaken after learning people had died.

"Anything that happened to me is fixable. It's replaceable," he said. "My heart goes out to both the families involved."

(© MMIX CBS Television Stations, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Curious & Controversial News

You need the latest Flash player to view video content.
Click here to download.

Click here to bypass this detection if you already have the latest Flash Player.

Colorado & Denver News

Top News Stories

© MMIX, CBS Television Stations Inc. All Rights Reserved.