A 57-year-old man suspected of driving drunk with three kids in his car and slamming into a bicyclist has been arrested for investigation of vehicular assault, child abuse and driving under the influence.
The Colorado State Patrol said the motorist, Jeffrey Detlefs of Evergreen, was driving his gray 2004 Lexus GX470 from Colorado 74 onto eastbound Interstate 70 at about 4:37 p.m. Sunday when he crossed a solid white line and drove onto the shoulder, hitting the rear of the bicycle.
The bicyclist, 52-year-old Rex Hegyi of Denver, was thrown by the impact and seriously injured. Hegyi was airlifted to St. Anthony’s Hospital.
The impact of the crash caused a license plate to come off the Lexus and allowed investigators to arrest Detlefs at his home a short time later, according to the State Patrol.
The patrol said that neither Detlefs nor any of the children in the car were injured.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
