Kersey – An oil storage tank near Kersey caught fire Wednesday morning, injuring one man, who was flown by helicopter to a hospital, officials say.
The fire was reported at 8:30 a.m. near County Roads 51 and 54, said Margie Martinez, Weld County sheriff’s spokeswoman.
She said the man was flown to Northern Colorado Medical Center in Greeley with burns.
Three area fire departments responded, putting the fire out in about 20 minutes, said Dale Lyman, spokesman for Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority of Weld County.
Workers were pumping liquids into a well to make it more productive when a pump caught fire, Lyman said. A flash fire or explosion spread the fire to an oil storage tank, he said.
“It was pretty spectacular for 20 minutes,” he said.
Additional local news briefs:
CASTLE ROCK
Driver allegedly fled crash, assaulted cops
Deputies arrested a Castle Rock man Wednesday morning after he sped away from a crash scene and then assaulted two officers, authorities say.
Shortly after midnight, Glenn Berwyn, 40, smashed his Mercedes-Benz into an embankment near Castle Pines Drive and Orofino Drive, said Cocha Heyden, spokeswoman for the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office.
Two security officers who saw the accident followed the man to his home, where Berwyn allegedly tried to run one officer over with his car, Heyden said.
When deputies arrived at the home, Berwyn assaulted both of them in his house, she said. They suffered minor injuries.
Berwyn was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and then taken to the Douglas County Detention Facility on investigation of numerous charges, including assault, drunken driving and resisting arrest, Heyden said.
DENVER
Attorney seeks funds for client’s legal help
The attorney for Brian Kenneth Hicks has filed a motion in U.S. District Court claiming his client is broke and needs funds to hire an additional attorney.
Hicks, 28, owned the white Chevrolet Tahoe used in the fatal drive-by shooting of Broncos player Darrent Williams on New Year’s Day.
At the time of the homicide, Hicks was in jail. Police sources have said three other men were inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting.
Authorities have identified Hicks as the leader of gang subset called the Elite Eight.
Members of the gang, some who were arrested with thousands of dollars in their pockets, have been charged in federal court with dealing hundreds of kilos of crack cocaine that raked in millions.
Walter Gerash was privately retained by Hicks in December and represented him on an separate state case that was filed in Denver District Court.
On May 24, Gerash continued to represent Hicks in federal court because there were still unused funds remaining in the fee deposit made by Hicks, the attorney wrote in his motion.
Now the funds have dried up and Gerash wrote that he expects he’ll need additional help from another attorney, Jonathan Willett, because of the intense publicity the case has garnered.
The motion says Hicks also hired an expert to conduct a poll on the amount of media coverage about the case.
Results of the poll were not available in Gerash’s motion, and the attorney did not return a call seeking comment.
DENVER
Bombs under vehicles lead to 12 years in jail
A man charged with planting bombs under vehicles in Cherry Creek has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, the Denver district attorney’s office said Wednesday.
Grant Barnes, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of use of an incendiary device and one count of second-degree arson, according to a news release.
He was accused of setting off a series of homemade bombs under vehicles in March. Two vehicles were burned, but no one was injured in the attacks.
DENVER
Man faces murder charge in aunt’s death
A Denver man was charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the shooting of his 85-year-old aunt, the Denver district attorney’s office said.
Keith Gerken, 48, was charged with the fatal shooting of Laurna Gerken, which happened July 18 in the 3900 block of Lowell Boulevard, according to a news release.
He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be formally advised of the charges Friday.
DENVER
Dems to open offices at old Post building
The Democratic Party officials who will organize and run the 2008 Democratic National Convention will do so from offices in the former Denver Post building, they are expected to announce at a news conference today.
Leah Daughtry, chief executive for the Democratic National Convention Committee, is expected to make that and other announcements this morning at Civic Center Plaza.
Sources say the Democrats have chosen the offices at one end of the 16th Street Mall, between Broadway and Lincoln Street, as their headquarters. The convention is to be held in Denver’s Pepsi Center Aug. 25-28 next year.
