Chase with speeding motorcyclist ends in accident; investigations ongoing

On Monday evening, the Grand County Sheriff's Office said its officers were pursuing a speeding motorcyclist who evaded traffic stops. According to the agency, the pursuit began at about 7:10 p.m. on Aug. 26 in the west end of Granby and ended when the motorcyclist and the sheriff's vehicle collided in front of Parshall.

Officers said they observed a man on a motorcycle traveling 87 mph in a 50 mph zone westbound on U.S. Highway 40. As the motorcyclist passed through the town of Granby, “the officer attempted to make a traffic stop by deploying a marked patrol vehicle with its hazard lights and siren activated,” the sheriff's office said.

Police officials said the motorcyclist did not stop but accelerated, reaching speeds of at least 135 mph. The deputy followed the man into the town of Hot Sulphur Springs, through Byers Canyon and toward Parshall.

Another deputy parked his vehicle on the side of US 40 and County Road 3 outside of town.

“When the deputy turned on his hazard lights to get the motorcyclist to stop, he turned around and headed east toward Hot Sulphur Springs,” the press release said.

The agency said the motorcyclist changed lanes as he approached the pursuing officer to avoid a head-on collision.

“As the motorcyclist attempted to overtake the police officer on the shoulder heading east, the motorcyclist and the patrol vehicle collided, causing the motorcyclist to veer off the shoulder heading east and crash,” the authority said.

The deputy was uninjured in the collision. The motorcyclist was examined on scene by Grand County EMS, then taken to a local hospital and has since been released.

Due to the collision between the motorcyclist and a patrol car, Sheriff Brett Schroetlin requested the 14th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team to begin an investigation. The Craig Police Department is conducting this impartial investigation on behalf of the Incident Response Team. The Craig Police Department is receiving assistance from the Moffat County Sheriff's Office, the Routt County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado State Patrol.

“The (response team) is activated when a law enforcement agency is involved in a critical incident to ensure an independent investigation,” the sheriff's office said.

Because this investigation is ongoing, the identity of the motorcyclist is not being released at this time. The sheriff's office clarified that because the investigation is ongoing, some details provided in this report may change as new information comes in. The sheriff's office stated that the report is preliminary to ensure the public is informed of what is happening in a timely manner.

The Critical Incident Response Team includes representatives from the Grand County Sheriff's Office, Steamboat Police Department, Routt County Sheriff's Office, Granby Police Department, Fraser Winter Park Police Department, Craig Police Department, Moffat County Sheriff's Office, Colorado State Patrol, 14th District Attorney's Office and Colorado Bureau of Investigation. Because the Grand County Sheriff's Office is involved in this incident, another agency is leading the investigation.