DENVER (KDVR) — A man has been sentenced to five years in prison after an Aurora hit-and-run crash that killed a man and his dog in April.
The 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office announced Wednesday that Michael Graham-Hyde, 73, was sentenced after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of an accident involving death and careless driving resulting in death in the April 3 incident.
The crash happened around 7:30 p.m. at the intersection of East Wesley Drive and East Caspian Circle.
According to the DA’s office, investigators determined Graham-Hyde had been driving at a high rate of speed westbound on East Wesley Drive in an SUV. Graham-Hyde had lost control of the vehicle and hit Rafael Alberto Buitrago, 65, and his dog, Nova, on the sidewalk.
The dog, Nova, was killed instantly and Buitrago was transported to a hospital where he later died of his injuries.
After the crash, Graham-Hyde fled the scene, but later turned himself in to police around 3 a.m. on April 4 after learning through social media that the victim had died, said the DA’s office.
In an arrest affidavit obtained by FOX31 in April, after turning himself in, Graham-Hyde told police he had flown into Denver International Airport on April 3. He had left the home to run errands and told police that at the time of the crash, he had been awake for 38 hours.
Grahm-Hyde, according to the arrest affidavit, believed he had fallen asleep while driving and “was in a dream state” when the crash happened. He got out of the vehicle after he heard a noise and felt a “big bump,” and that was when he “panicked.”
“Leaving the scene of a crash is inexcusable,” Chief Deputy District Attorney Jacob Kremin said. “This sentence reflects the seriousness of his actions and the devastation left behind for the Buitrago family.”
The DA’s office said Wednesday that Luiz Buitrago, Rafael’s wife, said that he had taken their dog, Nova, for a walk around the block.
Luiz spoke to FOX31’s Nicole Fierro after going to court on Monday. Luiz said she showed several pictures of her husband and dog to the judge at the sentencing.
“Even if he received 20 years or the rest of his life in prison, it’s not going to make it any different because what I want is my husband with me physically,” said Luiz. “He’s still with me is spiritual, but as something that makes a little bit of difference is that my husband’s accident, my husband’s case is start to make the difference in Colorado, because this is the first time that somebody for this same case, this same scenario, received five year sentence.”
Luiz said she made bumper stickers asking people to slow down in their memory. She also hopes to work with the city of Aurora and the state to change current laws in order to save other families.
“My husband, he died,” Luiz said. “But at the same time, we are just starting to make baby steps. Five years is the first time in Colorado that somebody received that amount of time for something similar.”
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley also spoke to FOX31 on Wednesday following the sentencing.
“We don’t often see prison sentences in a case like this,” Brackley said. “One of the reasons why we asked for and expected a prison sentence was a matter of deterrence. The public should be encouraged in when they’re involved in a traffic accident to pull over, to render aid, to call emergency services that could make the difference between life and death. In this case, the defendant fled.”
Graham-Hyde, after serving five years in prison, will then serve an additional five years on parole and has been ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution.
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