Dozens Gather to Remember Victims Of Traffic Crashes

DENVER (CBS4) - Dozens of people gathered in Civic Center Park Wednesday night for the annual Ride & Walk of Silence. It was a night to honor the victims of traffic crashes in Denver.

So far, 26 people have died on Denver streets this year. There were 59 traffic deaths in 2018.

One woman, Michelle Roche, honored her son at the event. Cole Sukle, 14, was killed July 13, 2016 as he rode his bike near McWilliams Park on Yale Avenue near Colorado Boulevard in Denver.

"An elderly woman, who was also drinking and driving, pretty much just plowed into him, and killed Cole," she told CBS4.

Michelle has since committed herself to supporting Denver's Vision Zero program, an action plan committed to eliminating traffic deaths and serious injury by 2030.

The names of each victim who died last year were read by city council members.

"We all have choice. The city has a choice on how to prioritize their budgets and how to prioritize their initiatives. And as individuals we have a choice every single time we get behind the wheel of a car to be mindful, to be present," said Roche.

More than 19 miles of new bike lanes and four new pedestrian signal crossings were added in 2018 when Denver's Vision Zero program launched. Leaders hope to stop traffic deaths altogether by 2030.

Wednesday's event was put on by the Denver Street Partnership.