Plow drivers come to the rescue as Colorado police chase down suspect up to no good

A team of snowplow drivers in Colorado served their community in a unique way earlier this year when they blocked the path of a suspected car thief after attempts by law enforcement failed.

Around 11:30 p.m. on January 2, an officer spotted a black Hyundai Accent with a broken taillight driving eastbound on I-70 in Idaho Springs, about a half-hour away from Denver. When the officer ran the plate, he learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen and “was connected to a strong-arm robbery and prior evading … on New Year’s Eve,” a statement from the Idaho Springs Police Department said.

The officer tried to pull the driver over, but the driver did not cooperate. Officers and deputies from several agencies then sprang into action and attempted to bring the Accent to a stop using stop sticks and even a “tactical rolling roadblock,” but still the driver “aggressively” dodged those efforts and even struck one deputy patrol vehicle as he continued to make his way down the highway.

Unbeknownst to law enforcement, snowplow drivers for the Colorado Department of Transportation were coming along to assist. Though there was not a flake of snow falling, three giant plow trucks driving ahead of the suspect occupied all lanes of eastbound I-70, and once traffic cleared, they began to slowly come to a stop, blocking the suspect’s path.

“We are on a roadblock with three plows. They got I-70 shut down,” one officer said over the radio.

Idaho Springs PD shared a video of the incident on Facebook:

The Accent driver, later identified as 27-year-old Brendan Fooks of Denver, the only occupant in the vehicle, quickly surrendered. Once in police custody, Fooks reportedly admitted that he was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and had been looking to rob a local business.

While searching the Accent, officers discovered drug paraphernalia as well as “tools commonly used for burglary,” the police statement said. They also found that Fooks had warrants for trespassing and shoplifting.

Fooks was arrested on those warrants as well as several new offenses, including vehicular eluding, aggravated motor vehicle theft, possession of burglary tools, reckless driving, and DUI.

Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident.

‘They were all immediately willing to help. … We didn’t want anyone to get hurt or killed.’

Michael Zamora, supervisor for the CDOT plow crew, indicated such moments are all part of the job.

“We are more involved out there than just plowing snow. We respond to emergencies, accidents, calls for help, broken-down motorists. Nine times out of 10, we are first on scene,” Zamora said, according to 9News.

Zamora said when he radioed his guys about the trouble, his fellow drivers didn’t hesitate to help.

“They were all immediately willing to help. They all bought in. They wanted to bring this to a safe closure because we had a lot of traveling public and public servants were out there. We didn’t want anyone to get hurt or killed.”

Crew member Henry Hinkle added that he and his colleagues “happened to be in the right place at the right time.”

“We didn’t really have time to think. So we just waited for it to happen, and then we just stopped traffic, and once the traveling public was clear from behind us, we closed it up, and it was all good,” Hinkle explained.

H/T: Glendale FOP 12

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