A Denver police officer who struck a pickup, killing a passenger and seriously injuring its driver, while responding to a distress call last October was issued a summons for two misdemeanor counts of careless driving, authorities said today.
Ronald Helm, 42, was responding “Code 10” with his unit’s lights and sirens activated the night of Oct. 7, when he sped through a red light and into an intersection, striking an Isuzu Rodeo.
Helm faces charges of careless driving resulting in death and serious bodily injury because he failed to exercise the “necessary precautions” when driving through a red light, District Attorney’s spokeswoman Lynn Kimbrough said.
“An officer who’s responding, what they call Code 10, with lights and siren, can go through a controlled intersection but must take necessary precautions to avoid a collision,” Kimbrough said.
Helm was headed south on Syracuse Street around 11:30 p.m., at an unknown speed in a 30 mph zone when he went through a red light at 17th Street and struck the westbound Isuzu.
Ulises Solis, 38, was pinned underneath the Isuzu. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
The Isuzu’s driver, Jaime Solis-Dominguez, 31, of Denver, suffered serious injuries. He could not be reached for comment today.
Helm also was injured in the crash. He too could not be reached for comment.
Helm was responding to a call to back up another officer at the time of the accident, police have said. He was about two blocks from his destination when the crash occurred, police have said.
Helm was served the summons today through his attorney, police spokesman John White said.
Authorities contacted late today were not certain what penalties Helm could face if convicted. The misdemeanors could carry up to a year or 18 months in jail if there is a conviction, Kimbrough said.
Helm has been reassigned to non-patrol duties pending the outcome of the case, police said.
Denver’s independent police monitor, Richard Rosenthal, responded to the crash and has monitored the investigation.
“At this point we do wait to see what the results of the criminal case are,” Rosenthal said.
Manny Gonzales: 303-954-1537 or mgonzales@denverpost.com.
