Suspect Will Go On Trial For 75-Mile Chase Along Front Range
CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (CBS4) - A judge has ruled there is enough evidence to continue with a trial for the 28-year-old man accused in a series of carjackings and a 75-mile chase through the Denver metro area.
Ryan Stone, a former prison inmate, is facing 13 felony charges that include attempted murder, kidnapping and carjacking, for allegedly carjacking several vehicles in March after stealing a car with a 4-year-old boy inside. He is also accused of seriously injuring a state trooper as he led police on an hour-long chase along metro-area highways.
The chase on March 12 started in Longmont and ended in Lone Tree.
Colorado State Trooper Bellamann Hee was severely injured in the chase when he was clipped by a car allegedly driven by Stone, 28, while Hee was trying to lay down stop sticks.
Hee is still healing from being struck.
"We're all thrilled to see the progress that he's made," said Douglas County District Attorney George Brauchler. "He's got a long road ahead of him."
The case is complicated by the number of victims, charges and locations but prosecutors believe they have invaluable evidence.
"On the other hand this is a case that, as we put it during the preliminary hearing, has a helicopter video which captured a lot of the crime for us. Although it's big and voluminous, at the same time the media's involvement actually helped us quite a bit," said prosecuting attorney Jason Siers.
Three witnesses testified in court on Thursday and the judge ruled there is enough evidence to move the case forward. An arraignment date has been set for early December.
