Denver 20-year-old under arrest after Lakewood Jeep-ambulance crash that injured 4, including firefighters
A 20-year-old man has been arrested after a weekend crash between a stolen SUV and an ambulance in Lakewood. He has been identified as Armando Casillas and he's from Denver.
Four people were taken to the hospital after the collision, which happened Sunday evening near the intersection of 14th Avenue and Reed Street. Two of those people were firefighters and they have both since been released from the hospital. As of Tuesday afternoon, the two others were still in the hospital. They apparently were in the stolen vehicle but are not expected to face any charges, according to Lakewood police.
A news release sent out by Lakewood PD on Tuesday said that their officers tried to question people who were in a Jeep that was reported stolen on Sunday night. When the officers walked up to the Jeep, it sped off and police didn't chase it. Shortly afterwards, that Jeep crashed into the ambulance, which belonged to West Metro Fire Rescue. The ambulance was returning from an emergency call and did not have a patient inside at the time. It was knocked on its side by the impact.
Casillas was being held in the Jefferson County Jail on tentative charges that include vehicular assault, DUI and car theft.
Lakewood police spokesman Garrett Boyd told CBS News Colorado after the crash that responding to stolen car reports is one of the most dangerous things officers in his department have to do "just because a lot of times people have guns and weapons and what not, and people like to speed off."
