Colorado’s 20-year high in traffic crashes aren’t just accidents, they’re increasingly more often crimes, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

When innocent people are injured or killed in motor vehicle crashes, Colorado is one of only four states that has a dedicated unit to serve the victims, troopers said in a news release.

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“When a person is fatally shot or a loved one is assaulted, people instantly recognize these as violent and horrible crimes,” Dolores Poeppel, director of the Victim Services Unit at the Colorado State Patrol, said in the release. “Yet when someone says their loved one was killed in a crash, far too often people don’t recognize it the same way. The truth is that when someone drives over 100 mph and kills someone, it is a crime.”

Traffic crimes include vehicular homicide, menacing, vehicular assault, careless driving which results in the death of another person and failure to stop at the scene of an accident.

A high-profile case occurred earlier this month in Weld County when a suspected drunk driver ran a stop sign at AA Street and Weld County Road 37, east of Windsor. A witnesses saw the Ford pull out in front of the Kawasaki – which did not have a stop sign Road 37. Weld County Deputy Alexis Hein-Nutz, 24, was killed while riding her motorcycle to work Sept. 18.

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Launched in 1989 by the state patrol. the Victim Services Unit fulfills Colorado’s state Constitution and the 1981 Victim’s Rights Act by recognizing the rights of victims of crimes.

Services include crisis intervention, resources and direct services to victims vehicle collisions including assistance at the scene and locating towed vehicles. Services also include assistance getting a copy of the crash report, filing an insurance report, updated information about all critical stages of the criminal justice proceedings and information about the eligibility for victim compensation and assistance in completing the forms.

“From the moment the crash occurs through the conclusion of their legal process, we’re there as a resource and we are incredibly honored that people allow us to assist them during one of the most difficult times of their lives,” Poeppel said.

For more information on the Colorado State Patrol Victim Services Unit, please visit the patrol’s website www.csp.colorado.gov.

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