COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Monday night as people headed home from work about 5:30, off-duty police officer Michael Builta rode his 2008 Harley Davidson Electra Glide motorcycle west on Barnes Road near Tutt Blvd.
Driving east in a 2000 Chevrolet Venture mini-van was Pei C. Lo, 36, of Colorado Springs, accompanied by her 11-year-old daughter.
The two collided and it resulted in the death of the Colorado Springs Police Department officer, the cause of which has been identified by the El Paso County Coronor as multiple head trauma injuries.
The young girl, whose name has not been released, was taken to Children's Hospital in Denver and where on Tuesday she is listed in stable condition. She is expected to recover from her injuries.
Builta has been a member of CSPD since January of 2005. He was assigned to Sand Creek Division as a patrol officer on the midnight shift.
This was the 10th traffic crash fatality in 2009. Of those, five have been motorcycle riders/passengers. At this time last year, there were 13 traffic crash fatalities. Of those, two were motorcycle riders/passengers.
There is no evidence of impaired driving on the part of either driver/operator in the crash, according to police. Neither weather nor roadway conditions were a factor in the crash. As was previously reported, Builta was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
The intersection of Tutt Blvd and Barnes Road is listed 23rd on the Top 25 accident locations in Colorado Springs during 2008.
As is the standard practice in fatality accidents in the city of Colorado Springs, detectives and members of the CSPD Major Accident Unit are conducting the investigation in conjunction with investigators from the Fourth Judicial District Attorney's Office.
At this time, no citations have been issued and the investigation is ongoing.
“The tragic death of officer Michael Builta has had a profound effect on many of his co-workers here at CSPD. In a two-month period, we have endured two officers’ untimely deaths to traffic crashes off duty, and almost lost a third to a horrendous on-duty crash. CSPD is, in many respects, like a large extended family. We often spend more time with our colleagues than we do with our own families. In a profession where we risk it all to keep the community safe, relationships run deep. We ask for the understanding, support, and compassion from our community as we struggle to cope with these losses, and to join us in holding the Builta family in our thoughts and prayers," said Police Chief Richard Myers in a written statement.
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