Lakewood detectives are investigating a deadly collision between a vehicle and a pedestrian on West Colfax Avenue near Independence Street after a late Saturday evening crash that shut down part of the busy corridor and sent drivers scrambling for side streets. Eastbound lanes of Colfax were closed at Iris Street while officers worked the scene, and motorists were urged to avoid the area as emergency crews and investigators remained on site. Detours were put in place.
According to the Lakewood Police Department, detectives described the crash as a fatal auto-versus-pedestrian collision and asked drivers to use alternate routes while the scene remains active. The update noted that all eastbound lanes of Colfax were shut down at Iris Street. Police did not immediately release the identity of the person killed or provide additional details in the initial alert.
West Colfax Has Been a High-Crash Corridor
West Colfax has long been a trouble spot for traffic safety in Lakewood. The city's transportation safety effort documented on Lakewood Together reports that this stretch has the highest concentration of vehicle-versus-pedestrian collisions in the city, including multiple fatalities. Between 2015 and 2019, 820 crashes were recorded on a 1.5-mile segment of the corridor, resulting in hundreds of serious injuries and several deaths. Local media have chronicled a string of serious and fatal wrecks on Colfax; for instance, Denver7 reported on a deadly Colfax crash earlier this year.
Investigation and What Drivers Should Expect
Police say detectives remain on scene conducting an active investigation and are asking the public to avoid the area until the roadway is fully reopened, according to the latest alert from the Lakewood Police Department. Officials have not yet said whether any charges might be filed or whether the victim's name will be released, and they are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Lakewood police. Drivers should brace for delays along West Colfax and plan detours until authorities clear the scene and lift the closures.
