AURORA, Colo. — An 18-year-old man was arrested Thursday on several charges after he allegedly nearly hit 20 children while speeding away from an Aurora park.
According to the Aurora Police Department, the driver was speeding away from Aqua Vista Park around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and “may have purposely aimed his vehicle at certain people, including children, nearly hitting them.”
Aurora
Teen driver who nearly hit 20 children near Aurora park identified, police say
7:06 PM, Sep 13, 2023
Video from a nearby residence shows a child crossing the street when the vehicle accelerated towards them. Thankfully, the child ran up onto the sidewalk and was not hit.
Aurora PD said the video does not show the “many more” kids who were walking to the school bus stop or through the park at the time of the incident. The department said some children were in the process of crossing the street while others were on the sidewalk.
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The driver was identified Wednesday as Owen Riley Severson, 18, of unincorporated Arapahoe County.
Authorities contacted Severson at his home Wednesday afternoon and impounded his Honda Pilot for processing after he told officers about the accelerator sticking, according to Aurora police.
Officers returned to Severson’s home on Thursday and arrested him for misdemeanor charges of child abuse, menacing, reckless endangerment and reckless driving, Aurora PD announced Friday. He was booked into the Aurora Jail.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
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