Pueblo police team up with auto body shops to solve hit-and-runs

The number of hit-and-run crashes is already on track to surpass last year. There have been 269 hit-and-runs in Pueblo this year compared to 644 last year.

“I think it’s a pretty high number for the city of Pueblo,” said Sgt. Howard Jackson, who oversees the department’s traffic division.

Forty-two percent of the hit-and-runs that occurred last year have been solved. Jackson said the department decided to partner with auto body shops to help solve more cases.

Pueblo police are contacting repair shops when a hit-and-run occurs, asking them to be on the lookout for specific vehicles.

“Definitely looking to see if there are other paint colors on cars, to see if their story lines up with what parts of the car were affected,” said Kelsey Stankiewicz, service manager at Blazin Blue Automotive.

“The major goal of this program is in the event of a major hit-and-run accident, such as a fatality or a serious bodily injury hit and run,” Jackson said.

There were two deadly hit-and-run crashes in Pueblo last year, both of which have been solved. In 2013, there were also two fatal hit and runs; neither has been solved.

“I never realized it was such a terrible problem here. So it does raise that concern of do you think that really happened? And do we need to contact police,” Stankiewicz said.

Police said one of the common themes in hit-and-run crashes is that oftentimes drivers don’t have insurance. In the past, police issued citations to drivers who didn’t have car insurance. Now, they’re towing all uninsured vehicles. Jackson said he hopes it’s one way they can crack down on the number of hit-and-runs.