Snow plow drivers block fleeing burglary suspect on I-70’s Floyd Hill

When police were unable to stop a fleeing burglary suspect on Interstate 70 last week, a fleet of snowplow drivers stepped in to help.

Colorado Department of Transportation snow plows heading up Floyd Hill on I-70 before the car chase began slowing down and blocking the highway lanes, trapping the suspect, the Colorado Police Department said Friday. Idaho Springs in a statement on Facebook.

“We’re at a roadblock with three plows, they’ve closed I-70,” an officer can be heard saying in a video released by police.

The blockage forced the fleeing driver to stop and turn himself in to police, investigators said.

Around 11:30 p.m. Thursday, an Idaho Springs police officer noticed a black car with a broken tail light on I-70, according to the Facebook post.

When the officer checked the plate, he discovered it had been stolen from Northglenn and was linked to a New Year’s Eve robbery in Lakewood, police said.

Investigators said the officer attempted to arrest the suspect, but he fled. Other officers from Idaho Springs, the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office attempted to use spike strips to force the driver to stop, but were unsuccessful, a the police said.

The driver, who surrendered to law enforcement near Floyd Hill after being blocked by snowplows, was the only person in the car, police said.

According to Idaho Springs investigators, the man told officers he was in the area looking for businesses to steal from and was under the influence of alcohol and drugs. He was also the subject of two active arrest warrants in Broomfield for trespassing and shoplifting.

The man was arrested on warrants and suspicion of vehicle eluding, aggravated motor vehicle theft, possession of burglary tools, driving while intoxicated, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving and displaying fictitious license plates, Idaho Springs police officials said.

Sign up to receive daily crime news straight to your inbox.