Two police officers and two firefighters were struck Thursday night in Commerce City by a pickup truck driven by a driver suspected of being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, authorities said.
One of the firefighters was seriously hurt and underwent surgery Friday morning. One of the police officers also remained hospitalized as of Friday afternoon, authorities said.
The first responders were investigating a separate crash in the westbound lanes of Interstate 76 when they were hit by a man in a Toyota Tacoma at about 9 p.m. Joanna Small, a spokesperson for the Commerce City police department, said the officers were investigating a separate DUI crash when they were struck.
“It’s getting beyond believable how many DUI crashes we’re having that are not only hurting our public, but now we have our emergency personnel who can’t even do their job without getting hit by somebody that has decided to drive drunk,” Colorado State Patrol Master Trooper Gary Cutler said during a news conference Friday afternoon.
Last year, the State Patrol investigated DUI-related 251 crashes in Adams County alone, he said.
“This cannot continue the way that it’s been going,” Cutler said. “As an agency … people need to actually listen. We’ve talked, we’ve talked and we’ve talked and nobody is listening here.”
He pleaded for people to use a ride-sharing service, ask someone for a ride or stay at a friend’s house before getting behind the wheel while intoxicated, adding that these crashes affect “an entire community.”
The driver was identified as a 24-year-old man of Brighton. He was booked into Adams County jail.
South Adams County Fire Chief Ken Koger called the crash “taxing” and “brutal,” becoming emotional while speaking about the injured firefighters during a news conference.
“They did exactly what they were supposed to do and the tragedy still happened,” Koger said. “I don’t know how we stop it, but I’ve never had to go through this before, I do not want to do it again.”
One of the injured firefighters is a seven-year veteran of the department and the other is a four-year veteran, he said.
The injured Commerce City police officer who remained hospitalized as of Friday afternoon is 30 years old and a two-year veteran of the department, Small said. The other officer, 33, has been with the department for five years and has been released from his hospital with minor injuries.
Both officers are expected “to be OK,” she said.
“This was tragic. It’s still tragic, even when people are going to recover, it is still tragic,” Small said. “We still want people to change their driving behavior for the safety of everyone.”