Overview
- Authorities identified the drivers who died as Christopher Neil Moore, 29, the fleeing suspect, and Steven Ainsworth, 51, an uninvolved motorist from Arvada.
- Investigators said Moore briefly drove the wrong way on I-70, hit stop sticks near the Highway 6 exit, returned to U.S. 6 with deflated tires, and then crossed the center line near Tunnel 6, causing the head-on collision.
- Sheriff Matthew Harris said Moore was on parole, tracked by a GPS ankle monitor, and believed linked to more than 30 vehicle break-ins that included the theft of a firearm and ammunition.
- The Colorado State Patrol is leading the fatal crash investigation, while the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office and Idaho Springs Police Department are conducting internal reviews of the pursuit and related crimes.
- A 27-year-old passenger in Moore’s vehicle was hospitalized with minor injuries, and separate crashes involving Jefferson County sheriff’s vehicles responding to assist left at least one deputy with minor injuries.