
A truck driver was killed in a hit and run crash in Denver earlier this month and now the man responsible for the trucker’s death has been identified.
The crash happened on March 3rd in Denver Colorado off of Interstate 70 eastbound near Brighton Boulevard.
According to KDVR News, 57-year-old truck driver John Anderson was traveling along I-70 when he was struck by a pickup truck driven by 26-year-old Ivan Zamarripa-Castaneda. The force of the collision set the big rig on fire, killing Anderson in the blaze.
Zamarripa-Castaneda, who, according to an affidavit, was slurring his speech and smelled faintly of alcohol at the time of the crash, then fled the scene, leaving Anderson inside of his wrecked and burning rig.
Zamarripa-Castaneda was arrested the following day at his home on West Bayaud Avenue in Denver and was found to be an “immigration fugitive,” leaving him vulnerable to deportation back to Mexico by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Zamarripa-Castaneda was then taken to a local jail, where he posted his $25,000 bail, despite his immigration status. ICE was notified of his release an hour after the fact, but by the time they arrived at the station, Zamarripa-Castaneda had already gone.
“This is unacceptable and the sheriff has ordered an immediate internal review to determine why established notification processes did not take place before Zamarripa-Castaneda was released,” wrote the Sheriff’s Department in a statement.
“As law enforcement professionals, we should all have the same ultimate goal in mind — to protect the public by combating criminals,” the ICE added in their own statement.
Zamarripa-Castaneda, who is still at large, is facing charges of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. His court date has been set for April 2nd.
Anderson’s funeral was held on March 10th at Horan and McConaty in Centennial, Colorado.