COLORADO SPRINGS — A pedestrian died Monday evening after being hit by an impaired driver in a crosswalk at Garden of the Gods Road and North Chestnut Street, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Police said the pedestrian was crossing North Garden of the Gods Road when they were hit by a Toyota SUV driven by 66-year-old Robert Bland, who was determined to be impaired.
The department said officers arrived and found the pedestrian with serious injuries. The Colorado Springs Fire Department responded as well and treated the pedestrian before they were taken to the hospital. The pedestrian later died as a result of their injuries.
Alert: Due to a serious injury accident, Garden of the Gods Road is closed both eastbound and westbound between Hilton Pkwy and Chestnut St. The closure will last several hours due to the ongoing investigation. Please avoid the area and drive safely. @CSPDPIO
— CSPD Duty Lieutenant (@CSPDDutyLt) September 1, 2020
The crash shut down both directions of Garden of the Gods for about three hours for the department's Major Crash Team investigation until it was reopened shortly before midnight.
Officers arrested Bland on charges of vehicular homicide. The name of the pedestrian will be provided by the department once their next of kin is notified.
This is the 32nd traffic fatality in Colorado Springs this year. At this time last year, there were also 32 traffic fatalities.
Anyone who witnessed this crash or has any information is asked to call the department at (719) 444-7000.
