Driver Involved In Final Crash Was Listening To Chase On Radio
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) – The driver of a car involved in the final crash before a suspect in a kidnapping and two carjackings was taken into custody told CBS4 she was listening to the chase on her radio when the collision occurred.
Stacy Rader said she was driving to work as usual Wednesday morning and listening to reports on the radio of the police chase that began after the suspect, identified as Ryan Stone, 28 (Full Story), stole an SUV from a Longmont gas station with a 4-year-old boy inside.
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Rader told CBS4 she felt relieved because she thought the suspect was on Interstate 25 and had no idea that the suspect was about to crash into her.
CBS4's Rahel Solomon and photographer Eddie Castro at one point were driving directly behind the suspect who they say was driving erratically, at points on the wrong side of the road.
The suspect's run from the law came to an end when he crashed into Rader's car at the intersection of Lincoln Parkway and Peoria Street in Douglas County.
"I was literally listening to the radio about this car chase happening and thinking, 'Well, I'm glad I'm not on I-25.' Because it sounded like that's where it was," Rader said. "As I was going through the intersection here at Peoria, out of the corner of my eye I see a car coming at me that had just run the red light at a pretty fast speed.
"He T-bones me on the passenger side, I start flying into the intersection, basically. Two other cars hit me, and then I hit a guy who was in the turn lane."
Rader's car sustained a lot of damage and she said she was a little shaken up physically, but was thankful she wasn't seriously hurt.
"I couldn't believe my luck, you know, of all the places to be and all the people that I'm the one he hit," Rader said. "It's crazy."
After crashing into Rader's car the suspect fled on foot and was captured a short time later after unsuccessfully trying to scale a nearby fence.
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Earlier during the chase two officers on E-470 were trying to put out the stop sticks when a car in front of the suspect's attempted to pull off to the side of the road. The minivan was cut off into the breakdown lane and the one of the troopers had to jump off the highway to avoid getting hit. But the trooper was clipped by the minivan and was taken to the hospital with serious injuries that required surgery.
The trooper has been identified as Bellamann Hee, an eight-year veteran of the CSP. His surgery was successful and he's expected to make a full recovery.
