TIMNATH, Colo. — A woman was driving distracted when she struck and killed a 10-year-old boy on a bicycle in August, the Larimer County Sheriff's Office said on Friday.
Just before 6 p.m. Aug. 2, dispatch received a report of a crash at an intersection in a Timnath neighborhood. According to the sheriff's office, the 53-year-old woman was driving east in an SUV on River Pass Road when she hit the boy, who was traveling south on Saddle Horn Road.
The boy, identified as Oliver Stratton, of Timnath, was taken to the hospital and did not survive his injuries.
The driver was not injured.
Since the crash, sheriff's office investigators and the Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling team worked to reconstruct the collision and determine what factors influenced the incident. Evidence gathered during that investigation found that several "environmental factors" impacted visibility for both the driver and the cyclist.
As a result, the driver is facing charges of careless driving resulting in death and tampering with physical evidence. Both are misdemeanors, and a summons was issued Friday, the sheriff's office said.
“Condolences feel hollow when a child dies, and words can’t begin to express the depth of our sadness for this family and all who loved Ollie,” said Sheriff John Feyen.
“We ask everyone to remember this young man through your actions – minimize distractions when driving, actively look for pedestrians and cyclists, and talk to your family and friends about doing the same. It’s up to all of us to honor Ollie’s memory and do everything we can to prevent another tragedy like this in our community.”
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