Off-Duty Officer Killed In Motorcycle Crash ID’d, No Charges

COLORADO SPRINGS -Police have identified an off-duty officer who died after a motorcycle crash at Barnes and Tutt that also injured a young girl Monday.

Lt. David Whitlock tells NEWSCHANNEL 13 that 34-year-old Michael Builta was riding the 2008 Harley Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle through an intersection whena minivan made a left turn in front of him.

Builta was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and the El Paso County Coroner has ruled the cause of Officers Builta’s death as multiple head trauma injuries.

The driver of the 2000 Chevrolet Venture Mini-Van, 36-year-old Pei C. Lo of Colorado Springs, was not harmed in the crash.Her 11-year-oldchild was transported to the hospital with a head injury. She is listed in stable condition at the Denver Children’s Hospital and is expected to recover from her injuries. Both the girl and her mother were wearing seat-belts.

This is the second motorcycle accident involving an off-duty CSPD officer in two months and CSPD Chief Richard Myers expressedthe need for compassion from the community. “In a two month period, we have endured two officers’ untimely deaths to traffic crashes off duty, and almost lost a third to a horrendous on-duty crash,” said Myers. “We ask for the understanding, support, and compassion from our community as we struggle to cope with these losses, and to join us in holding the Builta family in our thoughts and prayers.”

At this time, no citations have been issued and the investigation is on-going. There is no evidence of impaired driving on the part of either driver/operator in the crash. Neither weather nor roadway conditions were a factor in the crash.

The intersection of Tutt Blvd and Barnes Road is listed 23rd on the Top 25 Accident locations in Colorado Springs during 2008. The accident happenedaround 5:30 p.m. and theintersection re-opened just before10PM, after accident investigators performedacomplete survey of the scene.

This was the 10th traffic crash fatality in 2009. Of those, five have been motorcycle riders/passengers. At this time last year, there were 13 traffic crash fatalities. Of those, two were motorcycle riders/passengers.Officer Builta has been a member of the CSPD since January of 2005. He was assigned to the Sand Creek Division as a Patrol Officer on the Midnight Shift.