KEY POINTS

  • Four men were taken to hospitals after they sustained severe injuries
  • After attacking the crowd, the accused drove away with the vehicle
  • Two other people were inside when the truck during the incident

One person was killed and at least seven were left injured after a pickup truck plowed through a crowd outside a bar in Colorado, authorities said.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday when a fight broke between two groups in the parking lot of the Rock Rest Lodge Bar & Grill in Golden, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

According to investigators, bouncers took one of the two groups behind the bar building in an attempt to break up the brawl. This is when three men from the other group reportedly got into the truck, a Chevy Silverado, and drove it into the crowd, local news reported.

The Sheriff's Office identified the driver as 29-year-old Ruben Marquez.

"It appears he intentionally drove into the victims, striking at least eight individuals, including restaurant employees," the sheriff's office added in the statement. "When deputies arrived, one male victim was unconscious and later pronounced deceased on scene."

Four men were taken to hospitals after they sustained severe injuries, while three others, who had minor injuries, remained on the scene for interviews with the investigators, according to Denver Post.

While the truck left the spot moments after the incident, it was located a short distance away and all three passengers, including Marquez, were detained by the deputies.

Marquez was charged with first-degree murder, three counts of first-degree assault, and three counts of second-degree assault.

According to the Colorado Department of Corrections, Marquez has an extensive criminal history and was on parole when the incident occurred. He was sentenced to four years in prison in 2019 after pleading guilty to possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute in Adams County.

The registered owner of the truck, 25-year-old Ernesto Avila, who was also in the vehicle at the time incident, was held for accessory to first-degree murder and other charges. The third passenger was not charged by the officials.

"I've been here six years and we've never had anything like this," Jenny Fulton, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said during a media briefing.

It was not clear whether the fight before the vehicular attack was just an argument or if it was a physical fight, Fulton added.

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