A Douglas County judge on Friday sentenced a Falcon man to 24 years in prison for leading authorities on a high-speed chase while driving drunk.
During the February 2015 pursuit on Interstate 25, 42-year-old Garrett Dean Neugebauer struck several vehicles leaving two men injured.
Authorities say Neugebauer had a blood alcohol content of .269, more than three times the legal driving limit in Colorado of .08. At the time of the chase, Neugebauer had been convicted off three prior alcohol-linked offenses and was wanted out of Otero County.
18th Judicial District prosecutors say Neugebauer was leaving the Denver area in a Dodge pickup truck that belonged to his boss after having dinner and drinks when a motorist reported seeing him drive erratically.
When Douglas County deputies tried to stop him, Neugebauer fled onto southbound I-25, cutting and swerving in and out of traffic while driving more than 100 mph.
He struck several vehicles before deputies deployed stop sticks and blew out one of Neugebauer’s tires. Sparks from the tire ignited a blaze about two football fields large.
Neugebauer finally pulled into a parking lot where he was arrested, prosecutors say.
In October, Neugebauer was found guilty of several charges, including two counts of first-degree assault, vehicular eluding and driving under the influence with one prior conviction.
“Whether by pure luck or divine intervention, no one died after Neugebauer’s alcohol-induced rampage in our neighborhoods and streets,” 18th Judicial District Attorney George Brauchler said in a statement. “He had many chances for therapy and treatment and it’s clear that the only way for him to take it seriously, is to have him incarcerated.
“He can’t drink and drive in prison,” Brauchler added.
Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
