denver & the west

Boy hurt, hit-run trio cornered

"I told him to stop. I said follow me or you will be hurt."

By Kirk Mitchell
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 09/16/2007 01:45:39 AM MDT

A 72-year-old retired teacher and others chased down a hit-and-run driver Saturday morning in Aurora after he slammed into a 6-year-old boy, critically injuring the child.

Christopher Gonzales of 1317 Kenton St. had serious head injuries and was taken to Children's Hospital, said Lt. Bruce Smith, Aurora police spokesman.

"We're all optimistic at this point that the child will survive," Smith said.

The boy's father, an uncle and the retired science teacher chased after the hit-and-run driver and two passengers after they tried to flee following the accident.

Police arrested the driver, who had a Mexican Consulate card identifying him as Ricardo Gomez-Carcamo, 26, following the accident near the intersection of East 12th Avenue and Moline Street in Aurora. Authorities are trying to confirm his identity, Smith said.

Gomez-Carcamo is being held for investigation of felony leaving the scene of a serious injury accident, Smith said.

Christopher went with his father to a relatives house on the 1100 block of Moline Street on Saturday morning. He had been playing with ducks in the backyard and went to the front where his father was fixing a tire on a truck in the street, said Jacinto Flores, 34, Christopher's uncle.

Just as Christopher walked out in front of the black pickup about 9:30 a.m., he was struck by a 1999 Ford Ranger and thrown about 30 feet, said Ricardo Flores, 36, another uncle.

Gomez-Carcamo allegedly put the pickup in reverse and backed up for about 100 yards as the boy's father and Jacinto Flores ran after him.

The science teacher, who heard tires screech and then a collision, ran out of his house, jumped into his 1986 Lincoln and drove after the fleeing truck, he said. He asked that his name be withheld for fear of retaliation.

Gomez-Carcamo allegedly crashed backward into bushes and a light pole at the corner of 11th Avenue. He and two passengers jumped out and ran in different directions.

Jacinto Flores caught up with one man and convinced him to return to the accident scene without a physical confrontation. The father caught up with another man and he, too, agreed to return peacefully.

The science teacher drove up alongside the third man and pointed a pepper-spray canister at the man.

"I faked a gun with my pepper spray," he said. "I told him to stop. I said follow me or you will be hurt. He just looked frightened."

The man walked on the sidewalk next to the car as the two returned to the accident scene. When they got back, police had already arrived, the science teacher said.

Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_6906739