A young man was struck by an SUV while crossing a busy street this afternoon in West Denver, bringing traffic to a near standstill.
Witnesses said the young man, who appeared to be in his 20s, was crossing West Alameda Avenue near Raritan Street about 4 p.m., when he was struck by a Cadillac Escalade.
Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said the man, whose identity was unavailable, suffered serious injuries and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
“It appears he’s going to make it,” Jackson said.
Police said that the pedestrian was crossing the street in the middle of the block, where there is no crossing zone, and that the female driver of the Cadillac tried to evade him.
“The driver pretty much did everything she could to avoid him,” Jackson said. “At this point, it appears the driver is not at fault.”
Alameda was closed at Raritan for more than an hour and traffic was diverted to neighborhood streets.
The driver of the SUV was visibly shaken and traveling with a child. The hood of her vehicle was dented by the man’s body.
Rose Boone, who works near the intersection, said that a lot of people chance it by trying to run across that portion of Alameda to get to the corner market as cars speed past.
“A lot of drivers don’t realize that although there are businesses along this part of Alameda, there are a lot of people living near here, just a block away,” Boone said. “This intersection could use a stop light or something so that people could get across.”
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com
