31-year-old pedestrian and dog hit and killed in Colorado, cops say. Driver arrested
A 31-year-old man and his dog died after a driver hit them in their Colorado neighborhood, officials said.
Luke Peterson, from Highlands Ranch, was killed in the March 16 wreck, the Douglas County Coroner’s Office confirmed in a March 19 email to McClatchy News.
It appears he and his dog were walking on a sidewalk at about 3 p.m. when a vehicle struck them both, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office said in a March 17 news release.
The vehicle’s 19-year-old driver “may have fallen asleep,” deputies said.
The driver was arrested on suspicion of vehicular homicide and other charges, deputies said.
Attorney information for the driver wasn’t immediately available March 19.
He’s next scheduled to appear in court in April, according to court records.
Peterson died at the scene of the wreck, according to deputies.
His dog was taken to a veterinary hospital in the area, but also died, deputies said.
In a post on Facebook, Rich Peterson wrote that Luke Peterson was his first-born son and his death is “the greatest sadness” his family has experienced. He wrote his son “is now in the merciful hands of God” and is “always in our hearts, always loved, forever cherished!!!”
Highlands Ranch is about a 20-mile drive south from Denver.
This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 7:39 AM with the headline "31-year-old pedestrian and dog hit and killed in Colorado, cops say. Driver arrested."
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