DENVER - It's a problem that's plagued our state and continues to get worse all the time. They are Illegal, unlicensed drivers, who don't seem to care that they are breaking the law. The issue was brought to the forefront 6 months ago, when a 3 year old boy was killed inside an ice cream shop after a chain reaction crash that investigators say was caused by an un licensed, illegal immigrant who had a long criminal record.
The tragedy prompted the Governor to form a task force to find a way to crack down on driver's like Francis Hernandez.
But while the group made of lawmakers, city leaders and state troopers came up with some solutions, they all require money the state doesn't have.
Fox 31 investigative reporter Heidi Hemmat got a tip about a driver –who commutes from Longmont to Boulder everyday. Manuel doesn't have a license. And he has a lengthy record, including driving under the influence and felony identity theft. He even admitted to police he stole a social security number to obtain a license in the first place. We followed Manuel on his daily commute and confronted him about breaking the law. Manuel admitted he didn't have license. When asked if he had anything to say, he started his car and drove away"saying have a nice day," as he sped off.
Peter Weir is the director of Colorado department of public safety. He's also a member of the Governor's task force. He says one of the group's recommendations is to equipped state troopers with the same computer system used by Immigrations and Customs Enforcement or ICE. He says that would give local law enforcement a more effective way of identifying illegal immigrants, in same amount of time it takes to make a traffic stop.
But that will take resources, a lot of money and help from the federal government. The State of Colorado doesn't have any of that right now. Weir says he's hopeful that's once this economic crisis has passed, there will be some legislation addressing the issue in the near future. Meantime, you can only hope that the next time your in an accident--it's not with a driver who has no business being on the roads.