Denver police located a pickup truck in Commerce City Tuesday night that is suspected in the hit-and-run that killed a 21-year-old valet in Denver Saturday night.
The abandoned GMC extended-cab pickup was located and impounded as evidence at about 8:30 p.m., after police received a tip, said Denver Police Detective John White.
No arrests have yet been made in the death of valet Jose Medina, who was thrown about 100 feet by the impact when he was holding the door of a car open for a patron outside the Rockstar Lounge near East 9th Avenue and Lincoln Street in downtown Denver,
The club didn’t have the permits needed to provide the parking service, city officials said today.
Any business in Denver that operates a valet service is required to have a license, said Meghan Hughes, spokeswoman for the city’s Excise and License Department.
“You need a valet operator’s license, and then you need a valet location license for the parking lot or where they park the cars. They didn’t have either,” Hughes said.
Patrick Wilson, a co-owner of the club, said he couldn’t comment because police are still investigating the accident. “Our focus right now is attending to the needs of the (Medina) family and making sure they are OK,” he said.
Gabriel Schwartz, an attorney for Medina’s family, said it was “discouraging” to learn that the club wasn’t properly permitted.
A lawsuit, he added, “is obviously always a possibility, but we are not thinking about that right now. Our focus is on finding the driver.”
Applicants for a valet operator’s licence must have a criminal background check and proof of minimum insurance coverage of $250,000 liability and $1 million for personal injury.
Applicants for the valet location license are required to have a valid lease for any parking lots used and a parking plan that must be reviewed with an eye toward safety by the Department of Public Works.
The penalty for operating without the licenses can be a fine up to $999 or up to a year in jail.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671
