‘They’re still out there’ | Friends of hit-and-run victim want answers a year later

DENVER — Monday will mark one year since a 46-year-old man was left for dead on a Denver street.

Nick Cordova was riding his motorized scooter just after midnight Nov. 18, 2023, in the area of Speer Boulevard and Grove Street, about a half mile from Blue Pan Pizza, the restaurant where he worked, when he was hit and killed, according to Denver Police. The person who hit him, who was driving a white SUV, took off. No arrests have been made.

“He was a very special human,” said Cordova’s friend, Patrick Marro. “I don’t know if I’m ever going to meet someone like that man in my entire life. His memory still stays strong with us, and we’re never going to forget him.” 

Marro worked with Cordova at Blue Pan, a popular pizza restaurant with a location in the Highlands neighborhood. 

“Somebody wasn’t paying attention, and they took the lives of one of our best friends, and it’s not right, and they’re still out there today,” Marro said. “This is a very dangerous corner over here where this happened, unfortunately. A lot of traffic, people are speeding, there’s even a speed trap up right now because people can’t go the speed limit in this neighborhood. It’s just really awful knowing that there’s somebody out there that knows what happened.”

Authorities said they believe the person who hit Cordova was driving a white 2002-09 Chevy Trailblazer. It has front end damage and is missing the front bumper, police said. The SUV driver was last seen heading south through the alley between Grove Street and Hooker streets toward West 29th Avenue.

No arrests have been made. Cordova’s friends hope that changes. They posted new flyers pleading for information in this case in the neighborhood where the crash occurred.

“It’s definitely justice not being served,” Marro said. “It’s awful, but more than that, it’s just knowing that this person or persons is still out there. I mean I could drive by him any day. They could be right down the street. They could be in another state. We have no idea.

“[Cordova is] not somebody that you give up on,” Marro said. “And we’ve been at this for a while, and I don’t think this is something that’s ever going to leave us, you know. It’s brought a lot of us closer together, and we’re just working our best to try and get some peace of mind for everybody.”

Denver Police confirmed on Thursday that this case is still under investigation. They encouraged anyone with information to reach out to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.