AURORA | Police credited the city’s Flock camera system after an Aurora man turned himself in and was arrested in connection with a hit-and-run last month that killed a cyclist.

Jamie Gardner, 53, turned himself into the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. He faces a charge of leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Gardner has been released from jail in lieu of a $50,000 bond.

Gardner’s arrest affidavit says he told police that he believed he had hit a deer and did not stop after the collision. He said he previously hit a deer in the same area around two years earlier. 

Gardner said he was also worried about stopping on the dark road and getting hit by another car. He said he did not see any lights at the time of the crash.

Police said Gardner was driving a white Subaru Outback at about midnight July 27 when his car struck and killed Arthur Williams, 26, who was cycling near the intersection of South Powhaton Road and East Jewell Avenue. Williams was found later that morning, at about 9:30 a.m., by passersby. 

Police initially shared a photo of a white Subaru Outback and asked the public for leads. An Aug. 6 social media post from APD said police had identified a vehicle of interest and were conducting “immediate follow-up.”

Aurora police said they used Flock camera technology to look for the car and ultimately identified a damaged white Subaru leaving a neighborhood near South Harvest Road on July 28. The camera captured the car’s license plate and police identified Gardner as the driver.

The affidavit says police contacted Gardner at his home and informed him that he had hit Williams, not a deer.

In a statement, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain praised the Flock cameras, saying if it weren’t for the technology, the case might still be open.

“I cannot stress enough how invaluable technology is in police work, particularly to bring justice for families and closure in cases,” Chamberlain said. “The utilization of Flock in this investigation not only gave the victim a voice, but it also allowed us to identify a vehicle and a driver and ultimately provide answers to the family about what happened to their son. We must remember that is what we are always working for: the victims and their families.”

Read more Jason Arday’s death sparks UK debate over academic rigor, racism after media ‘frenzy’

Read more Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold

Read more Once shaped by court rituals, China’s imperial cuisine lives on today