Aurora driver pleads guilty in fatal hit-and-run that killed man, dog

Aurora resident Luz Buitrago is supposed to be enjoying retirement and celebrating a current th wedding anniversary with her husband Instead she s worried whether the man who pleaded guilty in his death will serve any jail time at all Rafael Alberto Buitrago was killed while walking his dog the night of April when Michael Graham-Hyde crashed into him near East Wesley Drive and East Caspian Circle and fled the scene according to court records Graham-Hyde informed police he had been awake for hours after returning from an overseas trip and was asleep at the wheel when he hit Buitrago and the couple s dog Nova according to an arrest affidavit He got out of his SUV saw Rafael Buitrago and panicked choosing to drive away when he saw another car coming because he thought the other driver would stop and help police wrote in the affidavit Buitrago was pronounced dead at the hospital and Nova was killed instantly police disclosed Graham-Hyde turned himself in seven hours later after seeing a Nextdoor post of his car and learning that Rafael Buitrago was killed Why did he have to wait Luz Buitrago narrated The Denver Post this week Seconds make a huge difference in this particular situation If he had called maybe my husband would be in a wheelchair and he would be with me Graham-Hyde pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving death a class felony on Monday according to court records The charge includes a prospective prison sentence of four to years though probation is also feasible The plea deal dropped an additional charge of careless driving resulting in death from his scenario court records show Rafael Buitrago was a beloved member of his neighborhood Luz Buitrago stated particularly for the kindness and respect he proved every person he met He worked in accounting and was evolving in neighborhood organization through the couple s church While Luz Buitrago announced she knows Graham-Hyde didn t intend to kill her husband she s frustrated by the possibility that he may be sentenced to probation and that Aurora city personnel have not taken policies to make the street where Rafael Buitrago died any safer such as adding a speed bump We have to respect other people s lives and they have to change the law she reported Probation is unacceptable In a announcement Aurora spokesperson Ryan Luby revealed the city s society works squad reviewed traffic evidence after the crash and exposed there were not any speeding-related crashes in the area in the last three years After a traffic survey that detected preponderance drivers were speeding at to mph along East Wesley Drive society works crews installed curb extensions at a trail overcoming and push-button flashing crosswalk signs he reported The city urges all drivers to put their phones down stay focused on the road and follow traffic laws Luby reported in a message The decisions made while driving can have lasting and life-changing consequences Graham-Hyde is scheduled to appear in court for a sentencing hearing on Sept according to court records Related Articles Motorcyclist injured in Denver hit-and-run on I- under I- overpass One person injured in Denver hit-and-run police search for suspect Bicyclist injured in Englewood hit-and-run police find involved car Hit-and-run driver injures Denver cyclist police searching for individuals Man arrested in hit-and-run that killed Denver bicyclist Sign up to get crime news sent straight to your inbox each day