One killed, three injured in crash involving stolen car

The driver of a stolen car ran through the intersection at Ninth Avenue and Pace Street this morning killing one and injuring three others. The incident happened a short time after Longmont Police ended pursuit of the stolen vehicle. 

Undercover officers working near Ninth Avenue identified a stolen vehicle, a white 2014 Toyota Tacoma, and called in marked police units to initiate a traffic stop near Ninth Avenue and Lashley Street. The suspect fled the attempted traffic stop at a high rate of speed, according to Longmont Deputy Chief Jeff Satur at a press conference this afternoon. 

Longmont Police disengaged pursuit and the suspect drove into the intersection at Ninth Avenue and Pace Street, colliding with the passenger side of a vehicle headed southbound on Pace Street. Utilizing real-time data from the police units’ vehicle locator devices, Longmont Police Services were able to confirm that the officers did not pursue the suspect. That information was corroborated by witnesses on scene, according to Satur.

The impacted vehicle, a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe, sustained serious damage and rolled into the northbound lane of Pace Street, colliding with a third vehicle, a 2016 Subaru Impreza, that also sustained significant damage. 

The driver of the Hyundai, a 93-year-old male, was killed at the scene. The driver of the Toyota, a 37-year-old male, was arrested and his passenger, a 36-year-old female, was taken to the hospital. The driver and passenger in the Subaru, a 62-year-old male and 19-year-old male, were transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries as well. All involved parties were Longmont residents, Satur said.

Longmont Police Services, including detectives, patrol and traffic units, are investigating the crash with the assistance of Colorado State Patrol’s Vehicular Crimes Unit, Colorado’s 20th Judicial District Attorney Michael Dougherty, along with other investigators from the Colorado State Patrol, Colorado District Attorney’s Office and the Boulder County Coroner’s Office.

“One thing we want to be clear on is our officers disengaged from the traffic stop and the suspect initiated all these accidents. That’s why we brought in third party investigators to interview the officers involved and help with crime scene reconstruction,” Satur said.

According to Satur, the suspect is facing charges of vehicular homicide due to reckless behavior. The investigation will also explore potential involvement of drugs and alcohol and potentially pursue First-Degree Murder through Extreme Indifference. Satur likened the crash to “firing a gun through an intersection.”

“When you elude the police in a stolen car, this is the outcome sometimes,” Satur said. “We don’t pursue stolen cars but this is one of the tragedies that happens when suspects operating stolen cars flee at high speeds and in this case fired a large projectile through an intersection.”

The investigation is still in the early stages, Satur said. The suspect is hospitalized and in custody, with an arrest pending release. Data from the vehicles involved and mechanical inspection are a significant part of the investigation over the next two to three weeks.

“There could be a litany of charges that come from this incident and it could have been avoided,” Satur said.

Satur said the Longmont Police Department are going door-to-door looking for video footage in the area and implored Longmont residents with information and footage to reach out to Longmont Police Services at 303-651-8501.

Updated 4:20 p.m.: Victims in third vehicle sustained non-life threatening injuries.