Suspect in 5-person fatal crash near Franktown faced dozen previous criminal charges, including assault

The man accused of carjacking a vehicle from a Regional Transportation District station, then crashing into a family of five and causing five deaths — including his own — has been identified.

The Denver Gazette confirmed with multiple sources that Walter C. Huling, 31, is the suspect in the Monday crash on Colorado Highway 83, south of Franktown.

Huling was on parole at the time, according to the Colorado Department of Corrections. He was set to be discharged in January.

Killed in the crash were Alvin Corado, 35, of Denver, who drove the Ford Fusion with four juveniles in it. The Douglas County Coroner confirmed the other victims as Toretto Corado, 8, Makenlee Corado, 11, and Jase Green, 12, all of Colorado Springs.

MaKenlee attended Sabin Middle School in Colorado Springs, according to the school’s Facebook page.

“This is an incomprehensible loss for all of us who knew and cared for MaKenlee. She was a bright, joyful presence in our school community — ‘friends with everyone,’ as her mom shared,” the school said.

Two victims are recovering, according to family members and hospital officials. Mia Corado, 13, was in “fair condition,” according to a Children’s Hospital spokesperson Wednesday. Jordan Green, 14, is also in stable condition at an unnamed hospital, according to his uncle.

The tragedy unfolded on Monday around 3:45 p.m., when the 31-year-old man carjacked a Toyota Matrix hatchback at the Nine Mile Station Regional Transportation District parking garage.

Less than an hour later, the man lost control of the car on Colorado 83 near Russellville Road south of Franktown, crashing into a Ford Fusion sedan head-on, authorities said. The sedan carried one adult driver and five children.

Huling’s criminal history in Colorado stretches back to 2013, with 12 cases between 2013 and 2024, according to court records.

Between 2013 and 2018, Hurling amassed 10 criminal cases in Arapahoe County, including four assault charges, three violations of a protection order, one bribery, one burglary and one driving under the influence.

On June 17, 2019, Hurling was charged with two counts of assault in Denver. He was also charged with criminal mischief, sexual contact without consent, resisting arrest and two charges of assault on a police officer while in custody, court records show.

Hurling pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, except for the charge of second-degree assault. He was sentenced to six years in prison on Nov. 21, 2019.

Five years later, Hurling picked up a charge for violation of a protection order in Boulder on March 16, 2024. He eventually pleaded guilty on May 15, 2024.

“It does no good for police to do great work investigating a case, arresting the bad guys, and for prosecutors to hold them accountable in court if our broken Department of Corrections and parole system are just going to cut career criminals loose on our streets to re-offend,” 23rd Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said in a statement to The Denver Gazette. “Colorado needs changes.”

Douglas County is in the 23rd Judicial District.

Denver Gazette City Editor Dennis Huspeni contributed to this report.


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