Law Officers Grapple With Fleeing Suspect
Trevor Phipps
With the summer season moving into full gear, no letup is in sight for the region’s bizarre crime spree, as last week two more rather strange and potentially dangerous incidents unfolded.
Luckily, other than a fleeing suspect, no major injuries or fatalities occurred. In recent weeks, the area has been rocked by rather unusual incidents.
This streak continued. when the police responded to a call at Woodland Park Pawn and Loan on July 10. According to the Woodland Park Police Department, an officer responded to the pawn shop at around 12:30 p.m. after receiving a call that someone was trying to sell the store a stolen item.
The officer arrived on scene and tried to contact the suspect inside the store. But when the suspect spotted the police, they evaded the officer and ran out the door.
The suspect then ran across the parking lot. with the officer following him. and jumped into a running jeep which was already facing toward the highway. The suspect then took off and started heading the wrong way on the eastbound side of the highway. The officer continued chasing the vehicle on foot and yelling at the suspect to stop the vehicle.
The suspect continued heading westbound on Hwy. 24 in the eastbound lanes. Then, a gray SUV that was heading westbound in the correct lane entered the eastbound lane to turn onto Chester Avenue. When the gray SUV entered the eastbound lane to make the turn, its front bumper suddenly struck the Jeep the suspect was driving.
The collision caused the Jeep to flip over in the middle of the lane and the suspect was ejected onto the road. Off-duty medical personnel were quick to arrive on the scene and they started treating the suspect.
Once emergency personnel arrived, they took over treating the suspect and transported them to a hospital in Colorado Springs. The suspect was listed as being in critical condition, and there have been no recent updates.
The gray SUV was able to drive away from the scene, and none of the vehicle’s occupants sustained any injuries. The suspect’s Jeep was then impounded pending a further investigation.
There have been no updates on the incident and it is unclear what charges the suspect will face.
