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Early morning high speed pursuit ends with wreck and arrest

Steven Hargis
Courtesy photo

An early morning high speed police pursuit in Grand County ended with a wreck, injuries to one person, and extensive criminal charges for a 24-year-old Lakewood man.

The entire incident kicked off early Tuesday morning, around midnight, when deputies with the Routt County Sheriff’s Office attempted to pull over a silver Kia Sportage in Routt County bearing a California license plate. The vehicle fled from authorities who briefly pursued the Kia before breaking off contact and radioing ahead to Grand County that the fleeing vehicle was heading towards Middle Park.

A deputy from the Grand County Sheriff’s Office responded to the call and waited for the vehicle in the Kremmling area near milepost 183.5. Shortly thereafter the deputy observed a silver Kia with California plates headed east on US 40 towards Kremmling. According to law enforcement officials the Kia was recorded as going 75 miles per hour through a 45 mile per hour zone.

The deputy attempted to pull the Kia over but the Kia did not stop and continued to travel eastbound into Kremmling before turning on Highway 9, going south towards Silverthorne. An officer from the Kremmling Police Department was parked on Highway 9 with his lights on but according to county officials the vehicle blew past the Kremmling officer’s vehicle and continued south on Highway 9, reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour.

As the Kia drove south out of Kremmling and reached milepost 138 the driver of the vehicle lost control, crossed over the northbound lane and drove off the shoulder, landing on the embankment. As law enforcement descended on the scene they discovered two occupants of the Kia.

The driver of the vehicle has been identified as 24-year-old Steven Hargis of Lakewood. Hargis was uninjured in the crash and was taken into custody by the Grand County Sheriff’s Office and transported to the Grand County Jail. He has been charged with eluding a police officer resulting in bodily injury to another person, careless driving resulting in bodily injury to another person, reckless driving, driving under revocation, speeding in excess of 40 miles per hour, and possession of an open alcohol container.

The passenger in the vehicle, a Denver woman whose name is being withheld, was transported to Middle Park Medical Center – Kremmling. The female passenger was not arrested or charged with any crimes in relation to the incident.


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