PUEBLO – Colorado State Patrol has released the arrest affidavit detailing the high-speed chase that occurred Sunday afternoon in which the suspect stole a State Patrol vehicle.
According to the affidavit, the situation began at 11 a.m. Sunday morning (4/28/19) when the reporting state trooper was informed of a vehicle traveling the wrong direction in the northbound lanes of I-25 in Pueblo. The trooper reported seeing a blue van traveling south on the northbound shoulder. The trooper said the driver of the van observed his emergency lights, turned around, and started heading northbound in the northbound lanes. The trooper caught up to the van and it pulled over to the right shoulder.
The trooper reported that the driver seemed confused and was moving slowly. He also reported the driver was very nervous and spoke quietly. The trooper said he feared the driver might drive away and asked him to exit his vehicle. At this point, a second trooper had arrived on scene as back up.
During questioning, the driver reportedly said he did not know what city he was in but knew he was in Colorado. The driver could not find his license but identified himself at Richard Twomey. The trooper reported that he asked the driver if he could look in the vehicle for his license, which the driver agreed to.
While the reporting trooper was looking for the license, he said heard the backup trooper yelling and looked up to see Twomey running down the road with the second trooper chasing him. Twomey then jumped into the second trooper’s car and the trooper fought with him to get the door open. The car then started to move and the trooper was thrown to the ground. The trooper then rolled onto the right shoulder to avoid getting run over by traffic, according to the affidavit. The trooper was yelling in pain and said his hand was hurt. The reporting trooper then called for an ambulance and the injured trooper told him to go after the driver.
According to the affidavit, the reporting trooper saw a pickup truck collide with the stolen patrol vehicle shortly after the patrol vehicle drove away from the shoulder.
The reporting trooper jumped in his vehicle and began pursuing Twomey. The trooper said the stolen patrol vehicle’s lights were on and the driver’s door was open. The trooper reports the stolen vehicle was averaging 100 miles per hours as it went south down I-25 through Pueblo.
According to the affidavit, as the stolen patrol vehicle got south of Pueblo it hit speeds as high as 130 miles per hour in a posted 75 miles per hour zone. The trooper reports the stolen vehicle almost rear-ended several vehicles before using both shoulders to pass them.
The affidavit said around mile marker 69, a Huerfano County Sheriff’s deputy deployed Stop Sticks, which the stolen vehicle ran over. The stolen patrol vehicle then lost control and began to fishtail. The vehicle then went off the left side of the road, collided with several signs, rolled once, and came to rest on its wheels in the northbound lanes of I-25.
The reporting trooper said he then saw Twomey running south on the highway away from the crash scene. The trooper then started running after Twomey and after the Huerfano deputy cut him off with a patrol vehicle, Twomey gave up and laid down on the ground. He was then taken into custody.
According to the affidavit, the trooper who was injured when his patrol vehicle was stolen suffered moderate injuries to his hand but it was not broken. He was taken to a hospital for treatment, released, and sent home.
The affidavit said the estimated value of the stolen patrol car was $40,000.
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Richard Twomey, is facing the following charges.
- 1st Degree Aggravated Motor Vehicle Theft
- 2nd Degree Assault on a Peace Officer
- Vehicular Eluding Creating a Substantial Risk of Bodily Injury by Operating a Vehicle in a Reckless Manor
- Reckless Endangerment
- Failure to Notify Police of Accident
- Failure to Remain at/Return to Accident Scene
- Reckless Driving
According to a News 5 photographer who was present for court proceedings, Twomey received a $25,000 bond.
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Suspect steals State Patrol vehicle, leads authorities on high-speed chase down I-25
