Husband, father of two killed in hit-and-run crash in Denver near problem intersection

DENVER — A husband and father of two died Wednesday morning after police say a driver ran a red light, struck the bicyclist and took off.

The man's family identified him Thursday as Steve Perkins.

"I don't know how after a day, day and a half, almost, you can't come to your senses and turn yourself in. I just... that mentality is so foreign to me," his twin brother, Dan Perkins, said.

Dan, who was too emotional to show his face on camera, agreed to speak with Denver7 in the hopes of seeking justice for his brother.

"[He was a] great dad, a great husband. He and his wife Laura have been married for over 20 years," he said.

Denver police say a driver struck Steve shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday near the corner of East 13th Avenue and Syracuse Street. Surveillance video, which Denver7 obtained, shows the driver running the red light, striking Steve and never stopping.

Denver Police Department

"I probably had been with him two hours before the accident happened," Dan said.

He and Steve would often ride their bikes together in the morning before taking off to their respective homes. Dan hadn't heard from Steve after their Wednesday ride at the Cherry Creek Reservoir until Steve's wife called him from the emergency room.

"I knew it was bad because she wouldn't tell me he was okay," he said.

He was floored, he says, after learning from police that the driver of the Ford Explorer, seen in the video, took off.

"I don't know what this guy was doing. All I know from the police is that he ran a red light, and I don't have a brother anymore because of it," Dan said.

The area where Steve was killed is a known problem spot for crashes. In April, just a block down near East 14th Avenue and Syracuse Street,a man was killed after neighbors say a driver ran a red light.

"I have a real concern for my community," resident Matt Pierce told Denver7 in April. "It's not just that. I feel that, I don't feel safe walking my neighborhood anymore. It's that I worry about the people that I see in this neighborhood who regularly walk here every day."

At the time, a spokesperson with the Denver Department of Transportation and Infrastructure (DOTI) said engineers were going to visit the site to determine if any traffic improvements were needed. Denver7 questioned DOTI about that visit Thursday, and a spokesperson said a response would be provided on Friday.

Dan doesn't know what else could have been done to stop the driver from running the red light. He just wants whoever did it to do the right thing for Steve, his wife and their twin boys.

"I would ask them to search inside themselves and please come forward," he said. "Turn yourself in and let justice be done because it needs to be."

Denver police are still trying to track down the driver of the Ford Explorer. It should have damage to the driver-side front bumper and side mirror. Call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 if you have any information.