The mother of an 18-year-old run over twice while crossing a busy Aurora street pleaded on Sunday for a hit-and-run suspect to surrender.
Alicia Larson was killed Friday night while crossing Parker Road to use a pay phone after she and a friend ran out of gas.
She was hit in the 3200 block of South Parker Road, first by a Chevrolet Monte Carlo and then by a white pickup truck.
The driver of the Monte Carlo, Shannon Obel, 25, returned to the scene after she initially fled, Aurora police said.
Obel faces a charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, police said.
The pickup driver never stopped, police said.
“I hope they turn themselves in. I don’t know how they can live with themselves,” said Alicia’s mother, Julie Larson. “How can you not know you ran somebody over?”
Obel said Sunday she “freaked out” after realizing she hit the girl and “had a nervous breakdown for about 10 minutes” before returning to the scene and confessing to a police officer. She said she hopes the other driver does the same.
“I wish they would do the same thing too because I think that’s pretty chicken of them to run away and not own up to it,” Obel told 9News.
“I feel horrible. I wanna tell everyone she knew I’m sorry. I want to be able to let people know that it was horrible; it was absolutely horrible,” Obel said. “I feel so bad.”
Alicia was a tall, happy teenager who loved to make other people laugh, Julie Larson said. She loved the rapper Eminem and aspired to be a teacher or work with computers.
Alicia was the youngest of three children and is survived by her sister, Faith, 23, and brother, Jason, 21. “She was our love child,” said Julie Larson.
Larson said she and her husband, Brian, appreciate the number of people who did stop.
“Numerous people prayed over her,” Larson said. “I want to thank those people.”
Staff writer Sean Kelly can be reached at 303-820-1858 or skelly@denverpost.com.
