LAKEWOOD, Colo. — A responding Colorado State Patrol officer was injured after his patrol car was intentionally rear-ended by another driver in a pickup truck involved in a crash on 6th Avenue Friday night, according to the Lakewood Police Department.
The male trooper was transported to the hospital where he was treated and released. The male pickup driver, who's been identified as 52-year-old Jeffrey Huntley, was also transported to the hospital for injuries he sustained in the crash.
The CSP officer was stopped along the shoulder of westbound 6th Avenue near the Simms Street exit when another motorist notified the trooper of a single-vehicle accident involving the pickup and a guardrail just behind the parked officer, according to police spokesperson.
While still in the shoulder, the trooper backed up his vehicle to respond to the crash but was struck from behind as he began to approach the scene, police said.
After the collision, authorities said Huntley got out and began to make threatening remarks toward the trooper, which police said prompted the officer to use his taser gun on the suspect. The CSP trooper was able to take the driver into custody without further incident, police said.
It’s not clear what prompted Huntley to allegedly attack the trooper’s patrol car. He was jailed on suspicion of attempted first degree assault on a police officer and reckless driving.
The incident caused Lakewood police to close westbound 6th Avenue for several hours while they completed an investigation.