Charges filed for fatal Colorado Highway 82 crash in Aspen

Editor’s note (updated): Unless individuals hold positions of public trust or there is imminent danger of harm to the public (e.g., active shooter) or there is an exceptional circumstance, suspects arrested/charged will not be named/identified until there is a conviction or a plea deal is taken. This is considered an exceptional case due to the severity of the incident and associated charges.

The Aspen Police Department has filed charges following an investigation into a fatal car-pedestrian crash that occurred on Dec. 14, 2024, according to a Wednesday news release.

Andrea Contreras Canales, 21, of Glenwood Springs, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death, a third-degree felony, and tampering with evidence, a sixth-degree felony, according to a press release issued by the city of Aspen. Investigators determined that while Canales did not cause the crash, the charges relate to her alleged actions after the incident.

According to the news release, 33-year-old Lisa Sabatka was struck by Canales’ vehicle on Colorado Highway 82 at approximately 10:51 p.m. near the Aspen Country Inn, where Sabatka lived; Canales left the scene, driving east toward Aspen. 

Firefighters from the Aspen Fire Department, responding to an unrelated structure fire, discovered Sabatka lying unconscious in the median turn lane, according to the news release. Emergency responders transported her to Aspen Valley Hospital, where she was pronounced dead at 11:20 p.m. Her blood alcohol concentration was recorded at .286 — nearly six times the legal driving limit in Colorado.

Canales returned to the scene at about 12:04 a.m. on Dec. 15, accompanied by a man she had picked up in Aspen after the crash, according to the news release. She cooperated with investigators. The Aspen Police Department, working alongside the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado State Patrol, Pitkin County Coroner’s Office, and the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, obtained search warrants for blood samples, phone data, vehicle data, and iCloud information related to the case.

“In complex crash investigations, it is critical that we have a complete picture of what happened rather than rushing to quick judgment,” said Aspen Police Department Chief Kim Ferber in the release. “We have conducted a thorough investigation and are ready to proceed.”

The final investigative component — blood analysis by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation — was received on March 5 and confirmed that Canales was not under the influence of intoxicating substances at the time of the crash, according to the news release. 

Investigators also determined that speed and distracted driving were not contributing factors, according to the news release. Cell phone data analysis supported this conclusion. The investigation indicated that Sabatka had last been seen exiting an eastbound bus near her residence on Highway 82.

“The standard for determining fault in a crash is finding the first harmful event, and in this case, that was the pedestrian being in the roadway,” said lead APD investigator Lauren Turner in the news release.

Forensic pathologist Dr. Robert Kurtzman classified the manner of death as an accident, stating that Sabatka died within minutes due to multiple blunt force injuries, according to the news release.

Due to the sensitive nature of the prosecution, authorities declined to provide further comments. The city of Aspen emphasized that every person accused of a crime is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.