DENVER — An e-bike rider who was critically injured and later died following a crash on eastbound I-70 in Denver was trying to escape from law enforcement at the time, a spokesperson with the Denver Police Department said Friday.
The crash, which occurred sometime before 9 p.m. Thursday on eastbound I-70 and Steele Street, appears to have started as an attempted traffic stop by DPD, according to spokesman Sean Towle.
Towle told Denver7 Friday that officers were trying to stop the e-bike rider for hazardous traffic violations when the cyclist rode onto the highway "in an apparent attempt to elude officers who were following him.”
It was not immediately clear what those violations were and how the crash occurred. It also was not immediately clear whether anyone involved in the crash will face any charges.
Denver7 is looking into whether it’s standard protocol for officers to pursue an e-bike for traffic violations.
The e-bike rider, later identified as 35-year-old Dallas Doherty, was rushed to an area hospital for treatment but was pronounced dead shortly before 2 p.m. Friday.
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner said in a news release Doherty died from multiple blunt impact injuries. His manner of death was ruled an accident.
Towle said DPD is now conducting an internal review of the crash, “as is standard protocol.”
Editor's note on June 22, 2026: This story has been updated with the identity of the e-bike rider and includes additional information from the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner.
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