Police say a woman driving a stolen car rammed a Thornton patrol car early Wednesday morning and nearly struck two officers who jumped out of the way before she led numerous police on an epic car chase through four cities.
Muriah Desiree Russell, 24, has been arrested for investigation of a long list of charges including car theft, car license plate theft, eluding police, reckless driving, resisting arrest, possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, drunken driving and attempted first-degree assault of a police officer.
“She definitely turned it into a major thing,” said Thornton Police Deputy Chief Ken Reather.
Russell was taken to a hospital with an arm injury after allegedly resisting arrest while being helped through the window of the stolen car.
During the chase on Wednesday, three Thornton patrol cars and one Northglenn patrol car were disabled along with the stolen car when they ran over stop sticks and their tires were flattened.
A Thornton police officer and an officer trainee were checking out a suspicious vehicle, a white Honda Prelude, parked in a residential neighborhood at 4210 E. 94th Avenue at 3:27 a.m. when the suspect suddenly put the car in reverse and backed up, directly into a patrol car.
Russell allegedly went forward and backed up a second time, ramming the police car.
She drove over a median and nearly struck the two police officers, who were by then on foot, Reather said.
“The officers dove to get out of the way,” he said.
A car chase in which the suspect reached speeds of 90 mph ensued that was soon joined by Northglenn, Broomfield and Westminster police.
Russell drove north on Colorado Boulevard to 106th Avenue, turned onto northbound Interstate-25, exited at 144th Avenue, went west on 144th to Sheridan Boulevard and then south on Sheridan.
Westminster police set up stop sticks on Sheridan. The stolen car and four police vehicles drove over the stop sticks, flattening or damaging their tires.
“She hit the stop sticks and kept going,” Reather said. “I think they just honestly believe they are going to get away. She was under the influence and not thinking clearly.”
A Thornton police officer crashed into the side of the stolen car, finally bringing it to a stop at Sheridan and 80th Avenue.
Russell was unable to open her front door. While police were helping her climb out the window she began to resist, Reather said. Her arm was injured in the process, he said.
Police found heroin in the car and determined the car had been stolen in Loveland but not yet reported as stolen, Reather said. The license plate on the car had been stolen from a different car and placed on the stolen car, he said.
Russell has a lengthy criminal record for mostly misdemeanor crimes, court records show.
Fort Collins police arrested Russell on charges of reckless driving, eluding police and obstructing police on Sept. 21.
She is also serving a two-year probation sentence on a 2013 drunken driving conviction; a one-year probation term for a misdemeanor theft conviction and a three-year deferred judgment for a felony identity theft conviction.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206, kmitchell@denverpost.com or @kirkmitchell or
