Firestone car chase ends when driver crashes into median, suspects flee

DENVER (KDVR) — Three people are in custody after a car chase in Weld County saw a car crash into a median at high speeds before suspects fled on foot from police.

The chase happened in Firestone at the intersection of Interstate 25 and Colorado Highway 52 on Monday morning. Firestone police say the Denver Police Department contacted them for help about a stolen car. When police found that car near Firestone, they say the driver immediately took off and hit an officer on the way.

A driver’s dash camera caught the chase. It shows the suspect’s car come off of the ramp from I-25 onto Highway 52 so fast that it crashes into the median before crossing all the way back to the other side of the road and coming to a stop.

FOX31 had law enforcement expert James Allbee with Metro Intelligence Agency take a look at the video. He said pursuits like this come down to split-second decisions from police.

“You’ve got to kind of analyze and do a quick risk assessment to whether or not these types of pursuits are worth it or not,” Allbee said.

He said the pursuit may not have happened if it was just over a stolen car, pointing out how dangerous they can be for other drivers, especially in intersections like this.

“That pursuit may have ended up being called off within a couple of moments of them getting off the highway,” Allbee said.

But he said after the driver hit an officer while fleeing, a pursuit may have become necessary.

“That could absolutely be considered kind of as an imminent threat to the community,” says Allbee.

After the car comes to a stop, you can see three people get out and run from police.

Allbee said foot pursuits are just as dangerous as for officers in cars and said every decision depends on what’s happening at the moment.

“It’s going to come down to what the officer knew at the time and exactly, you know, what their policy allows,” he said.

Firestone police caught one suspect right after they started running and caught the two others shortly afterward. They say the officer who was hit in the pursuit did not suffer any serious injuries.

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