A man who led law enforcement on a high-speed chase over a closed Berthoud Pass, Colorado, colliding with a snowplow, has been sentenced to three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. As part of a plea agreement, Calvin will serve three years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, followed by two years of mandatory parole.
Randy Calvin, 33, pleaded guilty to vehicular eluding, a Class 5 felony, in the 14th Judicial District Court on March 28. The high-speed pursuit occurred on March 14, when Berthoud Pass was closed due to adverse weather conditions and ongoing snow removal operations.
On Thursday, March 14, at 12:06 p.m., a Grand County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant was positioned on Highway 40 at the Mary Jane Road in Winter Park, staffing a highway closure point for the extended winter operations Berthoud Pass closure. In addition to the Sheriff’s Office vehicle blocking the highway, the variable messaging sign board at that location also indicated a road closure. The Highway 40 / Berthoud Pass road closure had been posted on cotrip.org as well as numerous social media outlets.
A silver Jeep Cherokee failed to stop at the closure point and continued past the Sergeant, heading eastbound on Highway 40. The Sergeant attempted a traffic stop on this vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated further eastbound on Highway 40, with the assailant reaching speeds of 70 mph. At the top of Berthoud Pass, the Grand County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant terminated the pursuit and notified our partner law enforcement agencies in Clear Creek County of the vehicle’s last known location and direction of travel.
Shortly after, Grand County was advised that the suspect’s vehicle had been involved in a motor vehicle accident on Highway 40 at approximately Mile Post 247 (five miles east of the Berthoud Pass Summit). The Grand County Sheriff’s Office, Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office, Empire Police Department, and Colorado State Patrol responded to this accident. The Empire Police Department arrived on the scene first and was able to take a 33-year-old male into custody as he fled the accident on foot. There were no injuries as a result of the accident.
Preliminary investigation at the scene indicated that the suspect’s vehicle had collided with a CDOT plow that had attempted to protect and shield other vehicles from the suspect’s vehicle.
The subject was later identified as Randy Calvin. Calvin was subsequently booked into the Grand County Sheriff’s Office Jail on traffic charges related to this incident and an outstanding felony arrest warrant issued by the Colorado Department of Corrections Fugitive Extraditions Unit for a parole violation.
The successful resolution of this incident would not have been possible without the partnership of our law enforcement agencies across Grand and Clear Creek Counties, the Colorado Department of Transportation, and the Colorado State Patrol.
Sheriff Brett Schroetlin emphasized, “All too common in today’s society, the rule of law is questioned, which ultimately puts our communities at risk from those who choose to put their own agendas at the forefront over the safety of other citizens. This behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Grand County, where we will continue to enforce the law and arrest those that violate it.”
Chief Deputy District Attorney Kathryn Dowdell, who prosecuted the case, praised the actions of law enforcement and CDOT during the sentencing. “The professional actions of law enforcement and the heroic actions of CDOT prevented Mr. Calvin’s incredibly dangerous actions from bringing further and potentially deadly harm to our community,” Dowdell said.
Judge Mary Hoak handed down the sentence.
