Eighty people bowed their heads in prayer and held candles on Thursday night to honor the life of Arthur Lance Williams, the young man who was killed in an Aurora hit-and-run last week.
“He was every father’s dream,” said Troy Lance Williams, standing not far from the scene of the crash that killed his son. “He was kind, gentle, loving, outgoing and determined to see things through once he started.”
Williams was riding his bike on South Powhaton Road, north of East Jewell Avenue, on July 27 when he was struck and killed by a driver just after 12 a.m., according to police.
The bicyclist’s body wasn’t discovered until around 9:30 a.m. He was only 26.
Williams’ loved ones remember him as an athletic, polite and hardworking person. He played golf, tried jiu-jitsu, and — most recently — took up triathlons. He was training for his first one when he was killed.
Williams’ family said he left the house around 9:15 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, to ride in the cool evening air. He never came home.
Now, his family is calling on the community to identify a suspect, improve bike infrastructure in the area — and mourn a life lost too soon.
“I didn’t really get home until late at night, so I figured he was in his room, in the basement,” Langston Williams, Arthur’s younger brother, said. “And then Tuesday, I woke up and found out. … So I was just completely shocked.”
Langston, 23, was the first person to hear the news when officers came to the house. Langston’s grandmother was home but couldn’t understand the officers because of a language barrier; her side of the family is Laotian. After speaking with the officers, Langston called his mother and father.
“Knowing that my son had the responsibility to notify his parents that his brother was no longer with us… I worry about his mental health, having to carry that on his shoulder,” Troy Williams said, his voice thick with emotion before he began to cry.
“That day changed my life forever. Nothing would ever be the same ever again,” he said.
Benedict Pae, 33, grew up babysitting Arthur and Langston.
“I literally knew him and his brother since they were in diapers,” Pae told Denverite. “He still had a life to live. Knowing somebody as a baby and seeing him pass away before you is pretty sad.”
Pae’s mother, Kae Herr, is a close family friend.
“His mom was inconsolable because who would expect a child to die?” Herr told Denverite. “And, tragically, with it being a hit-and-run, it adds another element of hardship because you want to know what happened. You wonder if the driver didn’t leave and requested help, if (Arthur) would be here with us today, just on crutches or something. But now we have a funeral to do and that is the saddest thing.”
Family and community members seek justice
Aurora police officers have found a vehicle of interest in the fatal hit-and-run after days of searching, the department announced Thursday. But no suspects have been identified yet.
The agency posted photos of the car, a 2015 to 2019 white Subaru Outback, which was caught on a traffic camera near the scene of the crash. Parts of the suspect car were left at the scene and police say the car most likely has damage to the hood and headlights.
Police asked the public to submit tips, which have been “extremely helpful,” said Agent Kris McDowell. There are not any Flock surveillance cameras in the area, APD noted.
“Some of the tips we’ve received have led to some of the leads that we’re following up on,” McDowell said. It’s unusual and “very unfortunate” to see a hit-and-run where the victim is left for hours, he added.
Williams’ loved ones have started a GoFundMe to raise funds to pay for a memorial service and offer a cash reward for information about the suspect.
“For the person who is responsible for this, this family is also praying for you. This family has forgiven you. And now this family is asking you to act. And that’s not an unrealistic request,” MiDian Shofner, a community advocate, said at the vigil.
Lack of infrastructure in the area
Arthur was cycling along Powhaton Road through a fast-developing area where new housing developments are spreading through the open grasslands of eastern Aurora. Cars consistently speed on roads that have very few traffic lights.
“If you drive around the area, you’ll notice that our roads and our infrastructure are not as good as they should be to support the community,” Amy Wiles, the Aurora City Council member who represents the area, told Denverite. “We are constantly growing houses and we are in a food desert. We don’t have anything and we don’t have a lot of traffic signals, stop signs. It’s a lot of two-lane roads that just aren’t really equipped to handle the amount of traffic that you can see driving by constantly.”
Wiles said that “a lot” of accidents happen on roads in the area she represents, Ward II.
“We have constant accidents there, right up further down the street from where Mr. Williams was hit and killed on Alameda and Powhaton. Lots of accidents there,” she said. “People drive fast because there aren’t a lot of signals and stop signs, so they can really pick up speed.”
Williams’ father, Troy, is determined to create a bike lane on Powhaton Road — no matter what it takes.
“His death will not be in vain,” Troy said. “They have to put bike lanes on that road if they’re going to build houses up north … They should have a safe space to traverse … I will do whatever I can. I don’t know if it’s a short battle or a long battle because I got to go to city planning. I got to go to city council and see what their plans are for that road.”