Vehicle chase leads to multiple crashes at busy Colorado Springs intersection
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 he (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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