51-year-old killed in hit-and-run on Platte Avenue

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — The Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) has identified the man killed while riding a scooter on Platte Avenue in the early morning hours of Friday, April 26.

According to CSPD, 51-year-old Rueben Ziemer was killed while riding a scooter eastbound on Platte Avenue just after 1:15 a.m. on April 26. The car that hit him, a late 90s model red Jeep Cherokee, left the scene of the crash. By the time emergency responders arrived on scene, Ziemer was declared deceased.

After CSPD released a photo of the suspected car involved, the driver, 33-year-old Andrew James Bjornstad, turned himself in on Saturday, April 27, and was booked into the El Paso County Jail on felony charges of Leaving the Scene of an Accident Resulting in Death.

The El Paso County Coroner identified Ziemer as the victim of the hit-and-run on April 26.

This is the 18th traffic fatality in Colorado Springs in 2024. At the same time in 2023, there had also been 18 fatalities.

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