SUV driver arrested in fatal hit-run

Rocky Mountain News

Originally published 09:00 p.m., May 20, 2008
Updated 07:28 a.m., May 21, 2008

Jeremy Raisch

A 34-year-old Windsor man has been arrested in the fatal hit-and-run of a woman walking across U.S. 287 Tuesday morning.

Jeremy Raisch was identified as the driver of a 1999 Nissan Pathfinder that was traveling northbound on 287 near Longmont about 1:22 a.m. when it struck Cerridwyn Ursula-Laujan, 19, of Boulder, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Investigators are seeking the public's help in identifying the driver of a second vehicle that ran over the woman.

A good Samaritan stopped and tried to help Ursula-Lujan, said Cpl. Jeremy Miller of the State Patrol.

"He apparently saw her lying in the roadway, turned around to help her, at which point she was hit by another vehicle," Miller said.

Ursula-Lujan was airlifted to Denver Health Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

Raisch is being held at Boulder County Jail on felony hit and run and misdemeanor failure to notify police of an accident.

Anyone with information is requested to contact the CSP at 303-239-4583.

CBS4 News contributed to this report.

• May 21, 2008

  7:45 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Ken writes:

  My sympathies go out to both families. This is tragic for the woman who died as well as the driver. I'm sure he didn't intend to hit this woman in the middle of the night. Why do people insist on crossing a highway in complete darkness...or at all?

• May 21, 2008

  7:50 a.m.

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  hdfresh writes:

  It is pretty rotten how both of the drivers failed to stop after the accident. The second driver that ran her over could have prevented felony charges if they stopped because it was pretty obvious that it was an accident.

• May 21, 2008

  7:53 a.m.

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  MarineGrunt writes:

  I would guess there will be another story connected to this one.

  Why was she out so late, drunk? Where was she coming from? Where was she going?

  RMN, do I have to do your job for you? But, don't send Tina Griego, we will only get a story about the poor truck not bent up over this accident.

• May 21, 2008

  8:15 a.m.

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  MarineGrunt writes:

  And if I may... at least this guy, Raicsh, had the stones to admit he had done something wrong and went to the State Troopers. He SHOULD have stopped right there and rendered assistance. Which makes me think he was drinking prior...

• May 21, 2008

  8:30 a.m.

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  psu96 writes:

  mamma always said nothing good happens after 10pm...

• May 21, 2008

  8:40 a.m.

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  journeytonowhere writes:

  Yes these drivers were in the wrong for not stopping and getting this woman help, but when is this state going to do something about the jaywalkers. Why should drivers be on the look out for people crossing busy streets against traffic lights or in the middle where there are no pedestrian crossings at all. Drivers are busy watching traffic, people should be crossing ONLY with a street light that has pedestrian crossings. This state needs to take a hint from cities like Los Angeles, if you cross against a light or jaywalk in the middle of the street you get fined, I've seen tickets as much as $125, talk about some good revenue for the state and to keep this type of accident from happening.

• May 21, 2008

  8:50 a.m.

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  Darling writes:

  Don't confuse the issue, which is that these drivers hit a pedestrian (accidents I'm sure) and DID NOT STOP TO RENDER ASSISTANCE. There is NOTHING you can say about the pedestrian that will remove that responsibility from these drivers.

• May 21, 2008

  9:13 a.m.

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  SLAP writes:

  I have no sympathy for the driver. If he stopped and did the right thing I would.....but he took off like a pu$$y.

• May 21, 2008

  9:41 a.m.

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  farsidefan writes:

  Slap, I agree 100 %. I wonder if the guy had been driving a sportscar if the headline would have read " Sportscar driver etc, etc.." I doubt it. Talk about sensationalizing a headline. Another shot at SUV's.
  I know " If he had been driving a sportscar, he might have stopped because he would have known he hit something. "
  Methinks the poster above is correct that he headed home because of an alcohol issue.

• May 21, 2008

  9:53 a.m.

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  alwaysright writes:

  Oh sure fine the people that walk across a road.

  Also fine the deer that cross the road ( if not in a deer crossing ).

  That should solve all hit & runs. Just let drivers do what they want, Like tex messaging, driving with head inserted in rectum.
  after all your car cost more than a pair of shoes.

• May 21, 2008

  10:05 a.m.

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  davies writes:

  I thought the SUV reference showed bias in favor of SUV drivers, because it did not mention how SUVs use too much gas, how they roll over too readily, how they are destroying the planet in addition to killing this one pedestrian, and how a greater percentage of SUV drivers are thought to worship the devil...

• May 21, 2008

  10:09 a.m.

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  Ken writes:

  always~
  I think you're being a bit irrational. Of coarse we should fine jaywalkers. It is for safety purposes after all.
  Is it really that hard to find a crosswalk and use it? Every week we have to hear about another person getting killed because they're crossing a highway in the middle of the night. It's time we start taking some kind of action against these stupid people, instead of instantly jumping all over the driver.

• May 21, 2008

  10:13 a.m.

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  Ken writes:

  Oh...and I take it that no one here has ever hit an animal while driving at night. In case you hadn't noticed...it's a little difficult to see something at night until you're right on top of it.

• May 21, 2008

  10:31 a.m.

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  journeytonowhere writes:

  We have cross walks for a reason, hey alwaysright how many times have you had to slow down because some person is to damn lazy to walk half a block to a crosswalk? We don't live in Mayberry and it is time this city and every other large city does something about it. Next time you have to slow down for someone crossing in the middle of the street think about what would happen if it was 2 am and you didn't see them in time...you would be going to prison for manslaughter because there is no law to protect you from it...accident or not.

• May 21, 2008

  10:34 a.m.

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  alwaysright writes:

  Ken
  Your right it's harder to see at night. So drivers should drive according to conditions. Just because the speed (LIMIT) is 70 You should only drive a SAFE speed. ( Like in fog, snow, ice & darkness, rain,) ie. If you can't see SLOW DOWN.

• May 21, 2008

  10:48 a.m.

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  Ken writes:

  always~
  You're missing the point. I am aware that under certain circumstances you should be slowing down, and night time is one of those times. That doesn't change the fact that others need to held accountable for their actions too. Just as it's irresponsible to be driving too fast, it's also irresponsible to be crossing a major road in the middle of the night. It seems you're not "alwaysright" in this case.

• May 21, 2008

  11:03 a.m.

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  LamboMan writes:

  For those of you saying this person should have simply walked to the nearest intersection, it's obvious you know nothing about Hwy 287. From what I've read this incident occured a mile or so north of Longmont. We're talking about a pretty rural area here folks. It's not like there's a traffic light every block or so. It's possible the nearest "cross-walk" was at least a mile away. Do I question what the pedestrian was doing walking around at 1:00am? Sure? Personally, if I was going to attempt to cross a road at night where speed limits are in access of 60mph I can assure you I would find a long, flat stretch where there are no hills to block the view of oncoming traffic. The articles don't say what the geograhpy was like where the accident occured so I'd just be speculating if this was a factor in this case.

  I have to agree with those speculating that the driver was probably drunk/had been drinking at the time of the accident and didn't want to get busted for vehicular homicide.

• May 21, 2008

  11:09 a.m.

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  davies writes:

  Ken, I will always come down on the side of personal responsibility too, and both the driver and the pedestrian probably do share some of the blame. But in the assignment of blame, the following facts tip the scales: (1) the vehicle driver is less vulnerable than a pedestrian; (2) traffic law gives the pedestrian the right of way even outside of a crosswalk; (3) without question the driver should have stopped and tried to render aid; if he had done so she may not have been run over by another vehicle and might still be alive; and (4) she is dead, therefore assessing any blame to her is somewhat of a moot point, and one that is not likely to garner much empathy.

  This driver should and will do some prison time.

• May 21, 2008

  11:32 a.m.

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  Kslayer writes:

  Hmmmmmm, Doesn't look like an Illegal to me. Wasn't that someones smartA$$ remark yesterday.

• May 21, 2008

  11:38 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Ken writes:

  davies~
  I agree with you, and I don't mean to come off as insensitive. Yes, it is a little pointless to place blame on someone now that they are dead...however, I'm simply trying to stress the importance of something that a good deal of people seem to be lacking (common sense). I agree that the driver should be punished because he didn't stop to help. But unfortunately, we're going to have another accident next week or the week after, because of pedestrians not using their head. Maybe the driver was drunk or going too fast...but this pedestrian could have been just as easily hit by someone driving in a safe manner. My point is we need to start making more of a deal about pedestrian smarts. If that means handing out jaywalking tickets, then so be it.

• May 21, 2008

  12:24 p.m.

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  ProudWife writes:

  You are so eager to cast blame. Yesterday illegals, today Ms.Ursula-Lujan. Who should I blame if my husband got hit trying to help? Him for helping, the driver of the car, Ms. Ursula-Lujan, the driver that hit her? None of the above. I would know that my husband did what he did because he had to and it was right. Ms. Ursula-Lujan did not deserve to be left on the road for any reason. I quote him "It dosen't matter if it was the prostitute on the street corner, no one deserves this." You can hand out all the tickets you want the fact of the matter is people sometimes don't think and accidents happen. That's why they are called accidents. It is our actions following an accident that makes the difference.

• May 21, 2008

  12:42 p.m.

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  MarineGrunt writes:

  I live in the area and yes... it is at the top of a lazy crest.
  Just fyi...

• May 21, 2008

  1:12 p.m.

  mexcellent writes:

  (This comment was removed by the site staff.)

• May 21, 2008

  2:07 p.m.

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  Darling writes:

  Where does it say that the pedestrian was jaywalking?

  The driver should have stopped to help her. Period.

• May 21, 2008

  2:39 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  ProudWife writes:

  Darling - You are right it dosen't say she was jaywalking and both drivers should have stopped. The best thing the second driver can do is come forward before the police find them. It's only a matter of time.

• May 21, 2008

  3:10 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  rmnreader writes:

  Regardless of why this woman was hit the fact is he hit her & probably killed her by leaving the scene. Was he more worried about a dui or the J he had in his car than he was about a person's life? Had he stopped at the very least she would not have been hit by the other car and would have gotten help faster. Now he's looking at manslaughter - good choice buddy. At least he should be looking at manslaughter....

  What kind of a person is so heartless & self serving that they would leave another human being on the road to die when it was an accident?!

• May 24, 2008

  6:28 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  joshaf1 writes:

  Let me start by identifying myself. My name is Josh and Kerrie(yes that is how we spelled her name despite what you may have seen elsewhere), was my little sister. I have seen a lot of people point out that she was crossing a highway in the dark and she is therefore responsible for all of this. I have said to many people that Kerrie should not have been out there in the middle of the night. She knew better and made a very bad decision. Her bad judgement resulted in her being injured though, not killed. Jeremy Raisch's decision to drive away into the night and leave my sister crawling in the road like an animal was the decision which killed her. In this life there are times when we are tested. Jeremy came upon such a test Monday night. Stop and help this person in need despite any fear of the consequences or drive away like a coward. He chose the latter and as a result, my baby sister is dead.

  Kerrie was a sweet and wonderful person. If any of you reading this had ever gotten the chance to meet my sister, I can assure you without any doubt that you would have liked her instantly. She was one of those people that could make you smile no matter what. She will be missed by many.

  There was a second person who hit Kerrie and drove away Monday night. If anyone has any information regarding the identity of the second driver, please call the Colorado State Patrol or send an e-mail to littlesisterhelp@yahoo.com. Thanks.