GRAND COUNTY, Colo. — A judge has sentenced a man to three years in state prison after he led a sheriff’s deputy on a chase up one side of Berthoud Pass in the midst of the March 14 snowstorm before crashing into a snowplow.
The road was closed at the time.
Randy Calvin, 33, pleaded guilty to a single count of vehicular eluding on Thursday. In exchange, prosecutors dropped charges of vehicular eluding, driving while under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless driving, driving while his license was restrained, and ignoring a road closed sign.
The incident began shortly after noon that day when a Grand County sheriff’s deputy was parked in the middle of U.S. Highway 40 near the Winter Park ski area enforcing a highway closure during a storm that brought heavy snow to Colorado.
According to court documents and body camera footage obtained by 9NEWS, a silver Jeep Cherokee flashed past the officer at an estimated 70 mph. The footage can be seen below.
The deputy pursued the man to the top of Berthoud Pass, then called off the chase. The Jeep kept going, smashing into a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow after the driver positioned himself between Calvin and other drivers.
The man then fled on foot.
Another officer responding to the report of trouble found Calvin sitting down on the road. He was arrested without incident.
Calvin has an extensive criminal record and was on parole in another case involving an assault on a police officer. He had an active felony warrant for violating parole at the time of his arrest.
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