An aunt of Jose Medina, the victim in a fatal hit-and-run accident, offered an emotional “thank you” Wednesday to a cab driver who police credit with helping crack the case by recording and reporting the license plate number of the truck involved.
Two of Medina’s aunts, neither of whom would identify themselves, attended a ceremony for the cab driver Wednesday at Denver police headquarters.
“(You) brought our family peace and we want to thank you. . . . You are an angel and you will always be a part of our family,” one of Medina’s aunts told the driver, Max.
Max, who owns a small trucking company and moonlights as a driver for Metro Taxi, said he is withholding his last name to ensure his family’s safety.
“I am happy to be able to help,” said Max, who is from Brazil. He received the Bill Daniels Neighborhood Hero Award, named for the founder of the Daniels Fund.
A pickup truck slammed into Medina, a 21-year-old valet parking attendant, as he was helping a woman get out of a car in front of the Rockstar Lounge on Lincoln Street on Jan. 22.
Police believe Norma Vera-Nolasco, 31, was behind the wheel. Vera-Nolasco and three others, all believed by authorities to be in the country illegally, are under arrest in the case.
Max said he saw Medina get hit: “I saw the car run away and decided I’ve got to do something. Everything happened really fast.”
He stayed close to the truck and didn’t have to stop for a red light until 19th Avenue. At the red light, he made sure he was tailing the right vehicle by pulling alongside where he could see the damage. Then he took the license plate number and called 911.
Lt. Robert Rock, commander of Denver’s Traffic Investigation Bureau, said the information Max provided was invaluable. “The license plate number obtained by Max was one of the most important leads in the entire case,” he said.
Max doesn’t consider himself a hero. “I think I did what everybody should do,” he said.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
