Holly MatkinAurora, CO – Aurora Police Department (APD) Officer Mikaela Lakin died in an off-duty motorcycle crash on Sept. 18.
The 24-year-old officer was riding her motorcycle eastbound on East Arapahoe Road at approximately 6:30 p.m., when the driver of a Honda Pilot failed to yield and turned left in front of her from westbound East Arapahoe Road, the APD said in a press release.
Officer Lakin, who was wearing a helmet, succumbed to her injuries at the scene, a spokesperson for the coroner’s office told the Sentinel Colorado.
The driver of the Honda suffered minor injuries.
Speed, drugs, and alcohol were not believed to be contributing factors in the crash, the APD said.
The APD traffic unit is handling the ongoing investigation into the fatal collision.
No arrests have been made, and no citations have been issued, according to the department.
APD Chief Vanessa Wilson identified Officer Lakin as the victim of the fatal crash in a tweet on Monday night.
“Even in death she chose to #DonateLife as an organ donor,” Chief Wilson said.
Officer Lakin joined APD in August of 2019.
“Mikaela was a dedicated officer in the Aurora Police Department,” her obituary read. “In her short life she impacted lives too numerous to count. Her light and love were impossible to escape. She will be missed by so many and her watch is over now.”
Officer Lakin leaves behind her parents, brother, grandparents, and her “beloved dog, Quentin,” according to her obituary.
She will be laid to rest on Friday.
#FallenHero Officer Mikaela Lakin, while you may be gone, you will never be forgotten. A hero never dies. You live on in our hearts and gave life in your death. Rest in peace sister, we have the watch from here 💙😭 #DonateLife @DonateLifeCO https://t.co/xl9ahxDT2E
— Aurora Police Dept.🇺🇸😷 (@AuroraPD) September 22, 2020
@AuroraPD @APDChiefWilson Rest In Peace Officer Mikaela Lakin. My condolences to her family & Aurora PD. pic.twitter.com/CW2RLngGis
— Kathleen Zepeda (@raiderette68) September 22, 2020
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Aurora Police Department Officer Mikaela Lakin, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
