Denver Attorney Hospitalized After Car Crashes Into Creek
DENVER (CBS4) - A prominent Denver lawyer whose vehicle rolled into Cherry Creek over the weekend was in the hospital in fair condition on Monday morning.
The accident happened Sunday at 8th and Speer Boulevard, and attorney Gary Lozow was in the SUV that rolled into the creek.
Denver police say a car ran a red light in the morning on 8th Avenue and barreled into Lozow's SUV.
Several people passing by rushed to help after they saw the SUV fly into the creek and land upside down. They were joined in the rescue attempt by security guards at Denver Health Medical Center.
Sam Kimpton was one of the rescuers. He told CBS4 that when he jumped in the creek the car was locked and Lozow was submerged.
"I found a sharp chunk of concrete and was able to get one door unlocked and then that unlocked the rest of the doors," he said.
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Kimpton's body went into shock because of the cold water temperature and emergency crews wrapped him in blankets to keep him warm afterwards.
"It was terrifying. I mean, obviously someone was in that car," witness Jeff Peters said. "Four or five people jumped into the water and grabbed rocks to try and smash the windows."
Rescuers pulled Lozow, who was unconscious, from the vehicle. He wound up with broken ribs and a broken hand and told CBS4 that he doesn't remember much about the crash. He said he mainly just remembers waking up in the hospital.
"There was a person on every door and the front and the back of the car, and it was incredible. They literally pried that car open with their bare hands," Peters said.
Firefighters and rescue crews said they were surprised that Lozow made it out alive.
"Very fortunate; this obviously could have certainly been a fatality," Champagne said. "(We) just want to applaud the citizens that had the wherewithal to jump in and assist this party."
"I hope he has a full recovery. That's what I want," Kimpton said.
A firefighter was also injured after he jumped down the embankment to help out.
Police say the driver of the other car that ran the red light was cited.
Lozow is a well-known criminal and white collar attorney in the region. He represented Duane Chapman, also known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, in a case and also represented Dylan Klebold's family after the shootings at Columbine High School, working as their private lawyer.
