Update: Pueblo Teen In Serious Condition After Auto-Pedestrian Accident

A 17-year-old Pueblo man is listed in serious condition Tuesday night after being struck by a vehicle in the Belmont neighborhood earlier in the day.

Friends of Jake Benavidez tell NewsChannel 13 that the teen was struck by a vehicle as he crossed the street near Hwy 50 Bypass and Hudson early Tuesday morning.

The exact nature of his injuries has not been disclosed, except to say they are fairly extensive.

Police have said that alcohol appears to be a factor in the accident. They would not say whether the driver, the pedestrian, or both were impaired.

A staffer at Parkview hospital confirmed the patient’s condition late Tuesday night.

The intersection in question has now been the site of two auto-pedestrian accidents in the past five days.

Last week, a 48-year-old man died after being struck in the same general area.

Police say the back-to-back accidents are surprising. Deputy Police Chief Troy Davenport says that particular intersection (where the Hwy 50 Bypass meets up at Bonforte and Hudson) is not known for being especially dangerous.

Davenport does point out that in both cases, the victims were crossing the street outside the boundaries of the crosswalk. He is urging everyone in Pueblo to cross with care and obey traffic rules regardless of where you are walking in town.