(COLO) On June 20, 2023, at approximately 10:57 AM, Colorado State Patrol Troopers responded to assist Otero County Deputies with a suspect fleeing from them, along Highway 50, in Otero County. The vehicle was reportedly called in as a “shots fired” call. In addition, the suspect was reported to have caused multiple crashes and attempted to cause head-on crashes with himself and other vehicles. Troopers were able to TVI the vehicle and contact the suspect successfully.
During the arrest, the suspect gained access to the front of a fully marked Colorado State Patrol vehicle and fled. Agencies on the scene pursued the suspect in the stolen patrol vehicle and troopers deployed stop sticks further down Highway 50. After hitting the stop sticks, the suspect in the patrol vehicle lost control, crashed into the side of a stopped Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) parked on the side of Highway 50 and spun out, catching on fire. The suspect was extricated from the patrol vehicle and transported to an area hospital. The suspect later succumbed to injuries sustained at the time of the crash. The CMV driver was not injured.
The suspect’s name is being withheld while next of kin is notified.
The investigation is currently ongoing at this time. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation will be the lead agency in the investigation.