A high speed car chase Monday on U.S. Highway 550 just south of Silverton ended when the vehicle went off the roadway and crashed into a tree, the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said.
A post on the Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page said around 6:45 p.m. on the “Big Bend” just outside Silverton, deputies attempted to stop a vehicle whose driver was suspected to be driving under the influence. The vehicle attempted to elude two cop cars “in a high-speed pursuit.” The vehicle was reportedly stolen out of La Plata County.
Around mile marker 62.5, the vehicle went off the road, and crashed into a tree. The Sheriff’s Office said no officers or bystanders were hurt in the incident, but the driver was transferred to Mercy Regional Medical Center by ambulance, in custody.
A female passenger was taken to Mercy by helicopter “due to the severity of her injuries.” The two are reported as being husband and wife, though the Sheriff’s Office as of Tuesday morning did not confirm their identities.
The incident is being investigated by Durango Police Department and San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.