Responding to a flurry of 911 calls early Sunday morning, police officers sped to the spot where 25-year- old Dustin Jefferson was attempting to cross Interstate 25 on foot.
They arrived too late.
The ultimate-fighting fan from Montana was struck by a vehicle in the southbound lane and pronounced dead at Denver Medical Center at 4:06 a.m.
Denver police are searching for the driver who hit Jefferson and fled the scene, according to spokesman Lt. Matt Murray.
Police don’t yet have a description of the vehicle, though investigators are reviewing video surveillance and other evidence, he said.
Jefferson, of Bozeman, came to Denver for Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighting Championship event at the Pepsi Center, according to Denver chief deputy coroner Michelle Weiss-Samaras. He was headed back to the VQ Hotel near Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
The first 911 calls reporting a pedestrian on the highway came in around 3:30 a.m., Murray said.
Jefferson’s family could not immediately be reached for comment. His Facebook and MySpace pages suggest he was a doting uncle who enjoyed camping with friends and played high school football in Hardin, Mont.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244 or jfender@denverpost.com
