Brighton police are looking for a Longmont man who struck an officer and three police cars Friday with his vehicle before fleeing. The officer was released from a hospital after being treated for an injured leg.
Originally, police said Mark Duane Molstad, 52, was driving a white 2015 Jeep Cherokee, Colorado license plate number 951-XBM, southbound on Brighton Road toward West 144th Avenue. The Jeep had sustained damage to the front end, rear bumper and undercarriage.
Saturday evening, police said they had located the Jeep and now believe Molstad is driving a 1999 black Ford F-350 pickup with Colorado plates 739-NTK.
The incident began as Bright on officers were working traffic control Friday at the intersection of U.S. 85 & Weld County 2 because of a malfunctioning traffic signal. At about 4:50 p.m., dispatch advised them that a woman, reportedly being followed by her ex-husband on southbound U.S. 85, was approaching their location.
As officers approached the woman’s vehicle, a white Jeep Cherokee directly behind her rapidly swung out of the lanes of traffic, striking a Brighton officer in the leg and then fleeing south on U.S. 85.
Officials said officers pursued the suspect vehicle south on U.S. 85 to East Bridge Street, where the Jeep exited the highway and headed west on Colorado 7 to Miller Avenue. The driver then turned south into the Crown Homes area. During the course of a short pursuit, the suspect struck three police cars with the Jeep. Out of concern for public safety, police said, they terminated the pursuit.
Anyone with information about Mark Duane Molstad should immediately call 911 or their local police rather than try to approach him.
