The woman found dead during a Commerce City traffic stop in January was fatally injured in an earlier crash when her boyfriend, the driver, hit two vehicles while trying to speed past a semitrailer on the shoulder of Interstate 270, according to court documents.
Brandon Joseph Sargent-Zuniga, 22, hit both the semitrailer and an RV, parked on the shoulder of I-270 with a dead battery, before fleeing the scene, according to his arrest affidavit. The crash injured his girlfriend, identified in the affidavit as 23-year-old Krista Parr, who died as Sargent-Zuniga tried to rush her to the hospital.
Sargent-Zuniga was arrested on March 28 and charged with vehicular homicide by reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident involving death, both felonies, according to Adams County court records. He posted a $50,000 surety bail on April 1.
Commerce City police officers responded to the hit-and-run on I-270 near Vasquez Boulevard at about 9:05 p.m. on Jan. 16, according to Sargent-Zuniga’s arrest affidavit. During that investigation, a Colorado State Patrol trooper stopped Sargent-Zuniga near the intersection of East 74th Avenue and Colorado Boulevard for speeding and running a stop sign.
The trooper found a woman unconscious in the car’s back passenger seat, the affidavit stated. Sargent-Zuniga told the trooper his girlfriend, Parr, had been injured in the earlier crash and he was trying to take her to the hospital. She was declared dead at the scene of the traffic stop, the affidavit stated.
Sargent-Zuniga told investigators that another vehicle entered his lane and brake-checked him on I-270, causing him to swerve into the parked RV, according to the affidavit. But cameras from the semitrailer involved in the collision showed Sargent-Zuniga attempting to pass the large truck on the highway’s shoulder, resulting in him striking both the RV and the semitrailer, police said.
Sargent-Zuniga, who was driving a gray sedan, appeared to be racing a blue sedan before the crash, police said in the affidavit.
Drugs and alcohol are not believed to be factors in the crash. Sargent-Zuniga denied engaging in any form of road rage, racing or reckless driving, according to the affidavit.
Sargent-Zuniga decided to drive home because he believed it would be faster to take Parr to the hospital in his truck, which was not involved in the crash, than to wait for an ambulance, according to the affidavit. His neighbor helped him move Parr from the damaged sedan to the truck.
At that time, Parr was breathing but unconscious, the neighbor told police in the affidavit.
“Krista was vibrant, creative, and full of love,” . “She had a fiery spirit and an infectious laugh that could light up any room. Wherever she went, joy followed. She was truly the life of the party, always making others smile and laugh. Being around Krista meant warmth, fun, and unforgettable moments.”
Sargent-Zuniga is next scheduled to appear in court on April 22 for a preliminary hearing, court records show.
