Suspects identified in vehicle chase that led to multiple crashes

Brooke Macklin, 19, and Caleb Miles, 31, were identified as the suspects that led deputies on a high speed chase through a busy Colorado Springs intersection causing multiple crashes Friday.

At approximately 12:46 p.m. the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office received a call that someone was siphoning gas from a truck in the parking lot of the Safeway at McLaughlin Road in Falcon, according to a release from the Sheriff’s Office Saturday.

The reporting party knew the suspects and told deputies their names. The deputies also knew the man and woman as they were suspects in other crimes throughout El Paso County and Colorado Springs.

At approximately 1:03 p.m. dispatch confirmed that the suspects were in possession of a stolen vehicle and a pursuit began. The pursuit started near Meridian Road and traveled around eastern El Paso County before entering into City jurisdiction in Colorado Springs. At times, the suspect drove on the wrong side of the road, crossed medians and ran stop signs.

One of the deputies drove into the suspect vehicle at Austin Bluffs Parkway and Barnes Road in an attempt to disable and stop the suspect vehicle. However, the suspect was able to maneuver away from him and struck several other cars in the process.

Another deputy tried to disable the suspect vehicle at Siferd Boulevard, but the suspect was again able to flee.

The suspect approached the intersection of Austin Bluffs Parkway and Academy Boulevard, running the red light and stuck a couple vehicles. These impacts disabled the suspect vehicle and both suspects were taken into custody at that time.

Four deputy patrol units were hit during the pursuit and one deputy was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries. That deputy was soon released.

Both suspects had outstanding warrants for their arrest. Macklin had an active Failure to Comply warrant, while Miles was wanted on several warrants:

Felony Vehicular Eluding
Theft
Obstruction
Criminal Mischief
Driving Under Restraint
License Plate Violations
Motor Vehicle Theft (Multiple Counts)
Criminal Trespass
Violation of Bail Bond Conditions

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The busy area near Austin Bluffs Parkway and Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs was sectioned off by police after a fleeing vehicle caused multiple traffic accidents Friday afternoon, damaging four El Paso County deputy vehicles and injuring a deputy.

Witnesses posted a picture of a silver truck that crashed into a deputy’s car on Austin Bluffs just east of Academy.

Other witnesses told KRDO that a blue and red pickup truck was being pursued by officers and deputies right before the crash.

The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said that around 1 p.m., a man and woman in the truck fled from deputies after being accused of stealing gasoline near the intersection of Blaney Road and Garrett Road, near Falcon northeast of the city.

Authorities said the pursuit continued, at speeds of around 60 mph, into the city limits, with police and Colorado State Patrol troopers assisting.

The pickup then collided with several vehicles and police and deputy cruisers before coming to a stop in the Academy-Austin Bluffs intersection.

“Yeah, there were a couple of guns drawn,” said Caleb Pierson, a witness whose vehicle was damaged in the incident. “I guess it was reported that [the suspect driver] had a weapon on him. So a couple of officers had their guns drawn while some were able to get him out of his vehicle. He came across traffic, hit a couple of cars on the way and T-boned another car into us.”

Authorities arrested the couple in the truck and said they face numerous charges.

In addition to the multiple crashes in the major intersection, two other crash scenes occurred along Austin Bluffs at the Siferd Boulevard and Barnes Road intersections.

At Barnes Road, a deputy was injured and treated at a hospital for minor injuries.

Authorities said at least a dozen vehicles were damaged in the incident.

The crashes and succeeding investigation snarled traffic during evening rush hour but normal traffic flow resumed just before 6 p.m.

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