Son of fallen Colorado firefighter seeks community help to recover stolen truck
Colton Smith has always wanted to be a firefighter because his dad, Stephen Smith, was a firefighter with the West Douglas County Fire Protection District for 23 years.
"Since well before I was born," said Colton.
So when he turned 16, he became a junior firefighter.
"I got to run two or three calls with him," said Colton.
But after a call they worked together in 2022, Stephen died and Colton was devastated.
"We went on a downed power line call. That was probably about the third call that I got as a junior firefighter," said Colton. "He's always the person who's just like, 'I want to do that.'"
He was left with only pictures and memories of his father and one thing he could hold onto: his dad's 2006 lifted Ford F-350 King Ranch truck.
"One of the last times I saw him, I drove that home with him. I was driving, he's in the passenger seat. I drove it home with him and he said he's proud of me. And that's the last thing I've heard out of him," said Colton.
On Thursday, he decided to drive it to see a movie at the AMC 24 movie theater in Highlands Ranch with his mom and sister. When the movie ended, he discovered he had once again lost a piece of his father that he had been protecting.
"I almost just started crying on the spot. I was so angry. I was just sorry. I grabbed my key fob and I started honking it. And just like, please, please tell me that I remembered wrong," said Colton.
Someone had stolen his dad's truck out of the parking lot.
"That's the one thing I never wanted to happen," said Colton.
Now, he's asking for the community's help in finding his dad's truck.
"It's not just a truck. It's not the money in it. It's the memories. So please, please, if you see it, call it in. If you have it, please change your mind. I get it's worth money to you, but it's worth a hell of a lot more to me," said Colton.
The stolen truck is a 2006 lifted Ford F-350 King Ranch truck with Colorado firefighter license plate OJO-901. If you have any information, call the Douglas County Sheriff's Office at 303-660-7505.
