Scooter Rider Dies After Highland Park Crash, First Scooter Fatality in Denver

By Andy Bosselman
Aug 12, 2019

Updated 11:38 a.m.: This story now includes the name of the scooter rider, details of the crash and a map of the incident.

Updated 11:53 a.m.: The map was updated to show a more precise location of the crash.

Correction 12:03 p.m.: The story was updated to reflect that the victim died Friday, Aug. 9, not this morning, as previously reported.

Updated 12:15 p.m.: A Google Street view image was added.

Updated 12:54: 32nd Avenue is not among streets where speed limits will be lowered.

A scooter rider died Friday after a crash with a driver Aug. 4 in Denver’s Highland Park neighborhood.

Cameron Hagan, the 26-year-old rider of a Lyft scooter, was riding on the wrong side of the 2800 block of West 32nd Avenue when he attempted to cross the street, riding directly in front of a car. Police determined him to be at fault.

But a Google Street View image at the site of the crash reveals wide streets, narrow sidewalks and a speed limit of 30 mph, which is too fast for a residential neighborhood. Police have not responded to questions about how fast the driver was going or if they were distracted.

A Google Street View image reveals wide streets, narrow sidewalks and speed limit of 30 mph, which is too fast for a residential neighborhood.

Police have provided few other details but the death is the first time a scooter rider has died since the vehicles landed on Denver streets one year ago, according to crash statistics from the Denver Police Department.

The fatality comes as the pilot program that allows scooters on Denver’s streets is coming to an end. The city is likely to make the vehicles a permanent part of Denver’s streets later this month. Officials will also consider a range of new rules and regulations for the vehicles over the next two months, according to the Department of Public Works.

Map: Streetsblog Denver. Source: Denver Police Department.

There are few good statistics about scooter crashes in Denver but in April, 9 News reported:

A Swedish Medical Center emergency room employee tweeted that “the hospital sees about 20 scooter-related injuries a week.”
Denver Health, which is the closest ER to downtown, where most scooters are located, had no official estimate. But Dr. Eric Lavonas, an emergency physician, reports seeing several injuries per week. “I’ve certainly seen people with broken wrists and broken ankles. I’ve also personally taken care of two patients with very devastating head injuries,” he said.

Last week, Mayor Hancock pledged to lower speed limits on six streets in the comping months, but West 32nd Avenue is not among them, according to Nancy Kuhn of the Department of Public Works.

This fatality brings the number of people have died on Denver’s streets so far this year to 50, compared to 58 in all of 2018, according to Streetsblog’s most recent Traffic Violence Report.

Tonight, Streetsblog Denver will host a debate about scooters and their future in Denver.

This breaking story will be updated as more information becomes available.