The safest police chases are the ones that never happen. It’s far too common for pursuits to injure or kill innocent bystanders. Three snowplow drivers in Colorado decided to intervene on their own and end a police chase last week. The rolling wall of metal immediately defused the situation without anyone harmed and no vehicle was severely damaged.
The chase happened on Interstate 70 in Idaho Springs, Colorado, 30 miles west of Denver. An Idaho Springs police officer claimed to see a black Hyundai Accent with a broken taillight, KOAA reported. The officer discovered that the Accent was reported stolen and connected to a New Year’s Eve robbery after running its license plate. The department detailed how the situation escalated into a chase on its Facebook page:
The ISPD officer attempted to initiate a traffic stop, but the driver eluded the officer. Officers from ISPD, the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office and the Gilpin Sheriff’s Office attempted to use stop sticks but were unsuccessful. A tactical rolling roadblock was attempted, and the suspect aggressively avoided the maneuver, striking a deputy’s vehicle.
The police had no idea there was a line of CDOT snowplows up the interstate. With lights and sirens behind them, the snowplow drivers fanned out across the highway. The Accent driver could drive through the massive vehicles and couldn’t maneuver around them. The plows slowed gradually until everyone was stopped.
The fleeing 27-year-old driver was charged with vehicular eluding, aggravated motor vehicle theft, possession of burglary tools, DUI, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, and displaying fictitious license plates.
The snowplow roadblock proved far more effective than the comic book toys sold to police departments nowadays. The grappler has become a favorite for officers. I wonder if it’s something ripped right off the Batmobile. Recently, a sheriff’s office in Olympia, Washington used the device on a two-lane road during a chase that hit speeds of 100 miles per hour. The tether wrapped around the stolen car’s axle and the driver lost control. The car veered off the road and hit a tree.
