Victim found dead in wrecked truck on Hwy 24 identified

(EL PASO COUNTY, Colo.) — The victim who was found to have been shot and killed inside a truck following a three-car crash on Highway 24 on Tuesday, Aug. 26 has been identified.

According to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), 29-year-old Noel Gutierrez-Cano died of at least one gunshot wound. The official cause and manner of death will be determined by the El Paso County Coroner’s Office, though Gutierrez-Cano’s death is being investigated as a homicide.

Deputies with EPSO and troopers with the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) originally responded just before 8:15 a.m. on Tuesday to a report of a three-car crash near the intersection of Highway 24 and Blue Gill Drive, just south of Judge Orr Road.

The 911 caller indicated that a passenger in one of the vehicles–a white pickup truck towing a black trailer–appeared to have been seriously injured or killed. Life-saving efforts were attempted, but the passenger, now identified as Gutierrez-Cano, died of his injuries.

Law enforcement immediately began investigating to determine the identity and location of the driver of the truck, who ran from the scene after the crash.

Community members who were traveling near Highway 24 and Blue Gill Drive between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 26—or who live or work in the area—are encouraged to review vehicle dashcam, home, or business security footage for any suspicious individuals or activity, particularly involving a white 2013 GMC Sierra Denali pickup truck towing a black trailer.

Anyone with relevant information should call EPSO’s Tip Line at (719)520-7777.