An alleged drunken driver dragged a state trooper about 100 feet early Thursday as he fled a traffic stop, then led the officer on a 100-mph chase that ended in a crash.
The driver, Jefferey Casey, 35, of Golden, was taken to St. Anthony Central Hospital with serious injuries, said Trooper David Hall, a Colorado State Patrol spokesman.
The incident started about 2 a.m. near West Sixth and West Colfax avenues.
Hall said Trooper Bradley Fox had pulled over a 1987 Jeep Cherokee and asked the driver whether he would submit to a roadside sobriety test. After the driver said yes, Fox went back to his car to radio information to a dispatcher and run background checks on the Jeep and Casey.
When Fox returned to the Jeep about 10 minutes later, Casey refused to get out of the vehicle, Hall said.
Investigators did not say whether Fox’s arm somehow got caught on the Jeep or whether Casey grabbed the trooper’s arm. But Casey drove off, and Fox was dragged about 100 feet, Hall said.
Fox suffered minor injuries but got back to his patrol car and pursued Casey.
Speeds during the chase, which lasted about 10 minutes, hit 100 mph.
Near West Colfax and Owens Street in Lakewood, Fox’s patrol car and the Jeep clipped each other, and the Jeep crashed into vehicles parked in a used-car lot, Hall said. The Jeep rolled.
Emergency responders had to cut Casey out of the sport utility vehicle. He was not wearing a seat belt, Hall said.
Fox, who was wearing a seat belt, was not injured further.
He has been with the Colorado State Patrol since 1999 and serves out of the Golden office.
The crash is being investigated by the Lakewood Police Department, and the State Patrol expects to seek charges against Casey for fleeing the original stop and for driving under the influence, Hall said.
No one else was injured during the chase.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
