AURORA, Colo. — A 73-year-old man was sentenced Monday to five years in prison after pleading guilty to hit-and-run that killed a pedestrian and his dog in April.
Rafael "Alberto" Buitrago was walking his dog, Nova, on April 3 in the Sterling Hills neighborhood when he was hit by a driver. near the intersection of E. Wesley Drive and E. Caspian Circle. When Aurora police arrived, they said the dog had died instantly in the crash. The man, later identified as Buitrago, was transported to a hospital where he later died, police said.
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Michael Graham-Hyde, 73, turned himself in the morning after the crash. Graham-Hyde originally faced charges of careless driving resulting in death and leaving the scene of a crash involving an injury.
Buitrago's family said a camera captured the driver getting out of his car to see what happened before fleeing.
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Graham-Hyde pleaded guilty in July to leaving the scene of a deadly crash, according to online court records. As part of that plea deal, the charge of careless driving resulting in death was dropped.
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