Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain is publicly defending his department’s investigation into the 2024 death of 40-year-old Joseph Jones, after the victim’s grieving family told city council members they don’t believe a thorough investigation was ever conducted. Jones was struck and killed by an RTD bus near North Sable Boulevard and East Ellsworth Avenue on November 15, 2024, and dragged approximately 1,000 feet, according to police and RTD reports.
Jones’ mother, Brigette Jones, has said the bus that hit her son kept going and did not stop, describing the incident as a hit-and-run, according to Sentinel Colorado. She has said the case was closed after just two months, leaving her without the answers or justice she says her son deserves. Aurora police did arrive at the scene and began a fatal traffic investigation immediately after the crash was reported, and no arrests were ever made in the case.
Family Says a Second Vehicle Was Involved
Jones’ family has said a separate hit-and-run driver struck Jones before the RTD bus dragged him — a claim that has taken on new weight in civil court. In January 2026 filings in Denver District Court, attorneys representing RTD and bus driver Nahom T. Woldeyes submitted a Notice of Non-Party Liability citing witness Marcel Harris, who reported hearing an impact and seeing a white truck-like vehicle leave the area; the bus then dragged Jones, according to court records reported by Co-existence. RTD’s civil defense centers on assigning fault to that unidentified driver, the outlet reports.
Chamberlain, however, has said the department’s investigation determined that only the RTD bus was involved in the crash. Police reviewed traffic cameras, bus cameras and Flock cameras, and analyzed debris at the scene along with damage to the bus as part of that reconstruction, the chief said. Aurora police reconstructed the collision using that evidence, and Chamberlain has said the findings did not support criminal charges related to the collision.
Toxicology and the Decision Not to Charge
An autopsy from the Arapahoe County Coroner ruled Jones’ death an accident caused by blunt force trauma after being dragged roughly 1,000 feet, with toxicology showing a blood alcohol concentration of 0.154 and active marijuana compounds in his system, per the same court-records report from Co-existence. The investigation allegedly found Jones’ toxicology report was positive for alcohol and THC, and Chamberlain said no criminal charges were brought against the bus driver…