Trooper, Deputy Injured In Head-On Crash Responding To Road Rage Call
ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Three agencies are now linked to a head-on collision involving two law enforcement officers that left one seriously injured.
The collision involved a Colorado State Patrol officer, and an Arapahoe County Sheriff's deputy. It happened Saturday evening in Adams County, north of the Arapahoe County border. Aurora police conducted the investigation into the crash.
Both officers were responding to reports of road rage southeast of Denver International Airport just after 5 p.m. Saturday. The caller told emergency dispatchers that the driver in question was in possession of a weapon.
Due to the remote location, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Deputy Dale Davis and Colorado State Trooper Ivan Alverado both responded to the call.
"Both vehicles were traveling on a dirt road, which had a soft shoulder," said Chis Amsler, spokesman for the Aurora Police Department.
Amsler said both vehicles were traveling uphill prior to the collision, both headed in opposite directions toward each other.
"They came to a crest on a hill. And, probably about the time they saw each other, they didn't have time to react," Amsler said. "That is when the collision occurred."
Copter4 was above, as crews worked to pull the two officers from their cars.
Flight for life responded to the scene and took Alverado to the hospital.
Amsler said preliminary information suggested both drivers might have been at fault, "We believe the deputy, and trooper, were traveling in the center of the road."
Amsler said both vehicles had recording devices attached, which act in the same way a black box would on an aircraft. Police recovered both devices and intended to use their information to determine speeds and conditions prior to the crash.
Dillon Thomas is a reporter at CBS4 and a Colorado native. He believes everyone has a story, and would love to share yours! You can find more of his stories by following him on Twitter, @DillonMThomas.
