Formal Charges Filed Against Driver In Hit & Run Case Near DU
DENVER (CBS4) - The man who drove over a University of Denver graduate student as he was walking his bicycle across the street has been formally charged with two major counts.
Andrew Simpson, 45, now faces charges of vehicular homicide and leaving scene of accident resulting in death.
Masoud Bahramisharif died on May 31 after a Jeep allegedly ran a red light and hit him while he crossed the intersection of University and Evans near the DU campus. Bahramisharif's body was sent flying through the air and his bicycle was dragged far down the street.
On Monday detectives seized the vehicle Simpson was driving in Aurora. Authorities said the SUV matched the vehicle seen in the surveillance video captured at the scene of the collision. Neighbors also said the SUV had front-end damage.
Bahramisharif was from Iran and came to Denver to study last fall.
Simpson's girlfriend, Kathleen Little, owns the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee involved in the hit-and-run. She said Simpson went to a bar with his brother who was visiting from out of state that night. They left the bar but returned to retrieve a phone that was forgotten.
Just before the accident occurred witnesses reported to police seeing a red Jeep with the driver giving people the finger and another man in the car with no shirt and tattoos on his chest. Police say little told them the brother has tattoos on his chest.
Little told CBS4 Simpson is not a drinker, but does use medical marijuana due to a previous car accident. She said he told her he does not remember details about the DU accident, but they were able to put it together from watching news reports.
A friend of Simpson called police and told them "he really (expletive) up."
According to court documents Simpson said he was out that night and thought he hit something but thought it was a dog and didn't stop. When police arrived at the apartment Simpson told them, "I'm the one you are looking for."
Simpson is being held on a $250,000 bond.
