AURORA , Colo. — Neighbors in an Aurora neighborhood are calling for change after they say several crashes near their homes are causing all kinds of problems.
One man, whose property was damaged last weekend after a high-speed chase involving the Aurora Police Department (APD), came to an end after an officer crashed into his fence and camper.
Steve Robbins said he has lived in his Columbia Drive neighborhood for almost half a century. He used to live in the home with his grandparents as a child and now owns the home himself. For the most part, he has enjoyed living in that area, he said.
“I mean, we do have issues just like any other neighborhood out there,” he added.
One of those issues, according to Robbins, is drivers who speed through the area, which has led to traffic impacts, including several crashes over the years.
“We've reached out to the city about some issues from prior incidents and accidents,” Robbins said.
Along with a group of neighbors, he went to city officials with concerns.
He said since he’s lived at that house, he’s seen more than a dozen crashes near his home.
One of the worst, happened on Sunday after a high-speed chase involving the Aurora police.
“I ran out of the house, probably 20 seconds later, dust is still settling from this and they had approximately 10 of the police cars here on the scene at that point,” he said.
According to a statement from the police department, it all started when officers responded to the 1000 block of S. Zeno Street for a report of an armed carjacking.
The victim told officers his gold Chevy Malibu was stolen by suspects who were armed with a knife and a gun. A Be On the Lookout alert was aired and other officers spotted the Malibu on E. Mississippi Avenue and S. Chambers Road. Officers attempted a traffic stop, but the driver failed to yield.
Given the violent nature of the crime, a pursuit was authorized, according to APD, which ended in the area of E. Columbia Drive outside Robbins' home.
The officer who crashed into Robbins' property was taken to a local hospital for treatment of minor injuries. He was evaluated and released, according to APD.
Robbins said he is hoping that the city can help fix the dip on their street and add more signage and speed bumps.
"We just want to bring attention and try to make our neighborhood a little safer," he added.
The City of Aurora issued the following statement in response to these concerns:
"Earlier this year, staff received an application to the city’s Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program (NTCP) for this section of Columbia Drive. The city collected traffic data in August and determined that the area is eligible for traffic calming measures. At the beginning of each year, city staff reviews all active traffic calming requests to determine priority areas. This part of Columbia Drive has been added to the list of consideration for 2024."
The city said traffic calming measures could include things like speed cushions, flashing speed limit signs, enhanced crosswalks, or other devices.
