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Suspect In Fatal Hit & Run Turns Self In To Police

DENVER (CBS4) - A hit-and-run suspect is now in police custody after turning himself in.

Johnnie Duran, 18, is being held on investigation of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Johnnie Duran (arrested, Washington Hit and Run, from DenverPD)
Johnnie Duran (credit; Denver Police Department)

The hit-and-run happened at 48th Avenue and Clarkson Street in North Denver Thursday night. Later police found the suspect vehicle but not the driver at 47th Avenue and Race Street.

When Denver police arrived they got enough information to release a Medina Alert, a statewide notification of a fatal hit-and-run.

Duran was backing a truck down 48th Avenue. He struck a trailer in the process. Investigators say it didn't seem intentional.

"For whatever reason the pickup truck driver decided it was time to leave the area and may not have known where the pedestrian was at," Sgt. Mike Farr with the Denver Police Traffic Division said. "As a result of that there was contact and the injury occurred."

The victim, Eugene Guerra, 58, was a regular at a scrap yard owned by his family. It's not fully known why he and his nephew were there Thursday night.

"I've known Gino and his brothers for 18, 19 years. It's just kind of a shock that I just found that out," Scrapyard owner Doug McDonald said.

Family members told CBS4 they were stunned by the incident and were not sure how it could even happen.

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