Car Slams Into Back Of Coffee Shop In Deadly Crash On Hampden Avenue
(CBS4) - One person died and another rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after a crash on Hampden Avenue Friday morning. It happened near the intersection with South Lafayette Street. That's on the border between Englewood and Cherry Hills Village in Arapahoe County.
The driver of a black car that landed on the side of the Caribou Coffee at that location was killed. The driver of a red car involved in the accident is said to be a woman in her 50s. She was seriously injured and was taken to nearby Swedish Hospital.
The crash closed Caribou Coffee for the morning. Customers hoping to get their morning cup of joe had to find another place.
This is the third time in a year the shop was closed because a car ran into the building that houses it. Heather Webb stopped by to get a cup of coffee and says it is a tragic situation. "It begs me to question just what's going on on Hampden that this has been the third time," she says.
Pino Saverino knows this story all too well. He owns Pino's Place, an Italian restaurant next door to Caribou Coffee. He says his restaurant was nearly demolished by a truck 4 years ago.
He points to the rear wall in his kitchen and says, "The truck went all through here. Smashed the dishwasher, the sink and the cooler."
He had to close the restaurant for 6 weeks during the busy holiday season, but he also knows it could have been much worse. The truck hit the building at 5 a.m. when no one was there so no one's life was in danger.
"We lost a lot of income, but this is ok, we did not kill anybody and that's important," he says.
He worries next time though that they may not be so lucky and wants the management company that runs the shopping center or the City of Cherry Hills Village or CDOT who is responsible for Hampden/285 to protect his employees and customers.
"We have to do something," he says, "I'm just concerned that's all."
Because Hampden/285 is a highway it would be up to CDOT to install a guardrail. They say they have studied this location and are looking for funding for the implementation of one. The shopping center says they mourn the loss of life from Friday morning's crash and that they will continue to try to work with the City of Cherry Hills Village and CDOT to find a solution. They are requesting a guard rail or barrier to be constructed.
