Family speaks after Colorado man and his dog are hit and killed by driver: “Alberto cannot just be another statistic”

Rafael Alberto Buitrago, his wife, Luz, and their 2-year-old goldendoodle Nova were the epitome of a loving family unit.

“He was just a really kind man. He was a really incredible husband,” Valerie Munoz said. “They were never able to have kids, so it was just kind of like, their little family.”

“He was someone that really spoiled her,” said Nathalie Munoz.

Nathalie and Valerie are the couple’s two nieces. They, along with the rest of their family, are now reeling with the reality that this unit will never be the same.

“I think we all kind of fluctuate between despair, numbness, and rage,” said Valerie.

It was Thursday evening, just after 7 p.m., when Alberto and Nova went on a walk just outside their Aurora home. As they were walking near the intersection of East Wesley Drive and East Caspian Circle, a driver traveling westbound at high speed lost control of his car and hit Alberto and Nova on the sidewalk. Nova died upon impact, while Alberto died after he was transported to the hospital.

“He was hit actually right behind our house — behind the fence — and when my aunt didn’t hear from him after 15 minutes, 15 minutes became almost an hour. She decided to get the car and drive around the neighborhood and saw 16 or more cop cars,” said Valerie.

“His pelvis was shattered, and his abdomen area was split open, and he was left to bleed out,” the girls said.

An incident with a similar outcome happened less than a month ago in Highlands Ranch, after a pedestrian and his dog were struck by a driver.

“This needs to stop. Alberto cannot just be another statistic,” said Valerie.

Alberto’s tattered jacket and Nova’s collar are all that remain from the incident.

Police say Michael Graham-Hyde hit the two, then fled the scene, before turning himself into police hours later. 

The family says not only are they upset that the driver who hit their loved ones initially left the scene, but they also say he has already been released on bond.

Court records were not yet publicly available in Graham-Hyde’s case.

“Even if there was shame behind this accident, he could’ve called 911,” said Nathalie. “Honestly, we truly believe if he had, I think the situation would’ve been different at least with Alberto.”

Now, their family is crowdfunding to help their aunt through a tragedy she never saw coming while pushing for legal changes in how hit-and-run drivers are held accountable.

“The law here in Colorado for people who do hit and runs, and they either kill them or they don’t is very lenient, and there needs to be bills that hold them accountable,” said Valerie.

“We shouldn’t have to wait till people are dying to make these changes,” said Nathalie.

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