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Woman killed in hit-and-run in Breckenridge

A woman died in a hit-and-run accident on Airport Road in Breckenridge on Monday. Breckenridge Police and Red, White & Blue Fire responded to the incident around 11 p.m.
Courtesy of the Breckenridge Police Department |

Breckenridge Police are investigating the death of a local woman following a hit-and-run accident the night of Monday, Aug. 31. Police were called to the scene on the 600 block of Airport Road, near the intersection of Rankin Avenue, around 11 p.m. that night after a passerby reported seeing the woman on the shoulder of the road.

Breckenridge Police and Red, White & Blue Fire Department personnel responded quickly to the incident, attempting to resuscitate the woman. She was later pronounced dead by a Summit County Coroner’s Office representative.

Jay Nelson, deputy chief of Red, White & Blue Fire, said staff arrived on-scene at 11:02 p.m. Monday night, just four minutes after the initial call. The medical unit was cleared at 11:41 p.m., and the rest of the staff left just after 1 a.m.



“We got there pretty quickly after,” Breckenridge assistant police chief Dennis McLaughlin said, adding that police remained at the scene, north of Pinewood Village Apartments, until about 1 a.m. “It’s not an area where there are a lot of people who could see something like this.”

The 26-year-old woman’s name is being withheld until next of kin are notified, according to the Summit County Coroner’s Office. Coroner Regan Wood said an autopsy is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3.



A preliminary on-scene investigation indicated that the victim was struck by a vehicle, which then left the scene. Police do not have a description for the vehicle or a suspect at this time.

McLaughlin added that police are still processing information from the scene. Police are keeping an eye out for a vehicle with damage to the front hood, as well as checking street cameras and doing neighborhood canvases.

While police have received a few calls, they are still searching for additional information from the public.

“We want people to keep calling, definitely let us know,” McLaughlin said. “We are very interested in solving this.”

This case is not the first hit-and-run to take place in the area. Last December, a snowplow driver found a Breckenridge woman after she had been hit while walking on Airport Road, just north of the most recent crime scene. While the woman survived the crash, she is still recovering from the resulting injuries. A suspect was identified and arrested in that case.

Deputy district attorney Rusty Prindle said he did not yet have enough information about the case to determine what charges a potential suspect would face. Under Colorado law, vehicular homicide under the influence of alcohol or drugs is a class-three felony, resulting in four to 12 years of prison.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is encouraged to call the Breckenridge Police Department at (970) 453-2941.


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