Between Friday evening and Saturday morning, a Colorado State Trooper sustained minor injuries and two patrol vehicles were damaged in separate crashes in El Paso and Mesa counties.
In the Friday incident, a Trooper in El Paso County was investigating a crash at Bradley Road and Highway 21 at 9:03 p.m. A 2010 Subaru traveling westbound on Bradley Road disregarded a stop sign and collided with a northbound Schwann’s truck on Highway 21. The collision pushed the truck into the Trooper’s patrol vehicle.
The Trooper, who was in his patrol vehicle at the time of the crash, sustained minor injuries. He was transported to a local hospital and released later that evening. The Subaru’s driver was charged with careless driving causing injury.
In the second incident, a Trooper in Grand Junction was assisting the Grand Junction Police Department with a single-vehicle crash on the 29 Road overpass, south of North Avenue. A 2007 Honda Accord approached the crash scene and slid into the Trooper’s patrol vehicle.
The Trooper, who was outside of his vehicle at the time of the crash, was not injured. The Honda’s driver sustained minor injuries and was transported to a local hospital.
The crashes add to an alarming number of recent, similar incidents in which Colorado State Patrol vehicles have been struck by careless or impaired motorists. Since December 19, at least six crashes have injured Troopers or damaged Colorado State Patrol vehicles across the state.
During a four-day span in late summer 2013, a tow operator was killed and two Troopers were injured–one seriously–in separate incidents in Weld and El Paso counties.
In every case, Troopers were investigating crashes or performing other patrol duties with their vehicles’ emergency lights activated. Furthermore, motorists in every case were alleged to have operated their vehicles carelessly, recklessly, or while impaired, while disregarding the nearly seven-year-old state law that requires motorists to move over or slow down for stationary emergency vehicles with active emergency lighting.
Early next week, the Colorado State Patrol will hold a press conference to address the dangerous and potentially deadly series of incidents affecting Troopers and law-enforcement officers across Colorado. More information will be released on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, as many law-enforcement agencies across the state increase enforcement activities during Super Bowl weekend, the Colorado State Patrol reminds motorists to slow down and move over for emergency vehicles with active lighting. There are no excuses, and Troopers will exercise zero tolerance for those who disregard the law.
