Greeley
Two arrested in Highway 85 hit-and-run after Flock cameras help police
The 46-year-old man was hospitalized with serious injuries. The driver faces charges including hit-and-run causing serious bodily injury; the passenger is charged with accessory to a felony.
Greeley police arrested two people, including driver Maria Panzo, 19, in connection with an Oct. 28 hit-and-run on Highway 85 that left a 46-year-old man seriously injured, after the city's Flock Safety license plate reader cameras helped identify the suspect vehicle.
Panzo faces charges of hit and run causing serious bodily injury, tampering with evidence and driving without a valid license. Police said both suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The passenger, 30-year-old Rodrigo Lopez-Cabrera, was charged with accessory to a felony, tampering with evidence and possession of a controlled substance. A previous felony warrant was also listed in connection with Lopez-Cabrera. Both suspects were transported to the Weld County Jail.
On Oct. 28, at approximately 11:45 p.m., officers responded to reports of an injured pedestrian in the 600 block of Highway 85. Emergency responders found the 46-year-old man alive but unresponsive. He was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
A witness traveling northbound said the man was walking in the middle of the road when the driver of a vehicle directly behind the witness struck him and fled without stopping, police said.
Officers confirmed the witness's vehicle had no damage, and debris recovered at the scene was consistent with the witness's account. Officers then used the city's Flock Safety automated license plate reader camera system to cross-reference evidence recovered at the crash site.
The technology generated a match that allowed investigators to determine a description of the suspect vehicle. Officers located the vehicle and took two people into custody in connection with the hit-and-run.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Officer Skylar VonFeldt at [email protected]. Police said no further details would be released Nov. 1.