The three-vehicle accident caused when an RTD bus ran a red light in downtown Denver on Saturday has claimed a second life.
Meanwhile, Denver police continue to investigate the accident to determine if charges will be filed against the bus driver.
The car’s driver, Daniel S. Peletier, and passenger Carla Miranda, both 29, of Denver died Saturday night, said Lieutenant Matt Murray, spokesman for the Denver Police Department.
Their 2007 Volkswagen Rabbit, traveling westbound on East Eighth Avenue, when the RTD bus traveling north on Lincoln Street plowed into her vehicle.
Their family members could not be reached Sunday evening.
Records show Peletier and Miranda have lived at the same address near 28th Avenue and Decatur Streer for a couple of years. He is originally from Bogota, N.J., and she is from Plano, Texas, records show.
A friend, who asked not to be identified, told 9News that Miranda was graduated from the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design after studying sculpture and animation, and dreamed of being an animator.
Charges against the bus driver could be filed early this week, if police find cause, Murray said. The driver of bus remains hospitalized, he said, and police aren’t releasing her name.
“This is serious enough that the DA is already involved,” Murray said. A warrant to obtain evidence, possibly including video from the bus or other sources, is being written.
“In this case there are certainly a number witnesses, so we feel confident we’ll have a fairly clear idea of what happened,” Murray said.
The bus driver doesn’t work for RTD directly. She’s a long-time employee of Veolia Transportation, a company that contracts to run RTD buses, said Veolia spokeswoman Valerie Michael.
“We’re working very closely with local law enforcement authorities to figure out what happened,” Michael said.
RTD contracts approximately 50 percent of its services, said Pauletta Tonilas,RTD spokeswoman. Veolia provides about 20 percent of those services.
“It’s been a very good relationship,” Tonilas said. Veolia drivers go through background checks, drug testing and safety training before employment, she said, and RTD monitors drivers monthly for safety and performance.
The accident happened at 4:58 p.m. on Saturday as the bus headed north on Lincoln. After running a red light at East Eighth Avenue, Murray said, the bus collided with the VW Rabbit, sending it crashing into a 1996 Ford pickup.
As the VW careened away, the bus rammed the pickup. It pushed the truck north and west across Lincoln and into a 7-Eleven parking lot, pinning it against a steel pole. The driver of the truck remains in serious condition.
At least 11 others, including the bus driver, were injured in the accident and four remain in serious condition.
Heather McWilliams: 303-954-1698 or hmcwilliams@denverpost.com
