Search for man ongoing after reckless drive through Rocky Mountain National Park
Northern Colorado authorities are searching for an apparent burglary suspect who drove recklessly from one end of Rocky Mountain National Park to the other and caused a serious car crash on the Estes Park side. Officials from the National Park Service said the suspect is a 23 year old and he was last seen running into a neighborhood on Sunday.
Park staff on the western entrance to the park tried to pull over the man in the afternoon after he was speeding and went through through the Grand Lake entrance. The driver didn't slow down and instead began passing other drivers and continued to speed as he drove on Trail Ridge Road, the only continuous road through the national park. A short chase was called off because of the dangerous nature in which the car was being driven.
Sometime later, on the eastern side of the park, law enforcement officers were waiting and tried to slow the car down near the Deer Mountain Trailhead -- where Highway 34 and Highway 36 meet -- as well as at the Beaver Meadows entrance. They used stop sticks near the entrance. Soon afterwards, just past the Beaver Meadows Visitor Center, the car collided with another car that had three people inside. All three were injured and the injuries to one of the people inside were described as critical.
The driver may also have been hurt, park officials said. They say after the crash he ran into an area where there are houses on High Drive in Estes Park. Late on Sunday officials sent out a news release saying that was the last time he was seen by anyone. A shelter-in-place order that was put into effect while police searched for the man in that part of Estes Park was lifted early Monday morning.
The national park news release stated that the man is believed to be wanted in an unsolved Grand County burglary case.
Anyone who sees the man is asked to call 911. He was described as being 5-foot-9 and bald. He wasn't earing a shirt or shoes and he had blue jeans on. He appeared to be white.
