UPDATE: Authorities have apprehended the man responsible for a high-speed chase through Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP).
RMNP officials said Monday that police had a man in custody in connection with a Sunday morning car chase that left three people injured. The man had initially evaded capture, but authorities confirmed he was found in the High Drive area just outside the park at about 10:30 a.m. Monday.
He was identified as Wayde Thyfault from Hudson, Colo.
It’s unclear if Thyfault has been charged, but he is suspected of involvement in a felony burglary case, according to authorities.
Police Chase Through Rocky Mountain National Park Leaves 3 Injured, Suspect at Large
On Sept. 9, a man suspected of being involved in a felony burglary case led police and park rangers on a high-speed chase through Rocky Mountain National Park on Sunday that left three people hospitalized.
According to a press release from RMNP, the incident started at the Grand Lake entrance to the park on its west side. Authorities said a vehicle sped into Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) without stopping to pay for admission or speak with the posted ranger. Park Law Enforcement Rangers were notified and followed the vehicle in pursuit. However, the driver did not stop his car. He sped up in an attempt to flee the officers.
The suspect then led law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase over one of the most scenic highways in the U.S., Highway 34, or “Trail Ridge Road,” which traverses the park.
Authorities said the suspect drove so “recklessly” along the road that rangers in pursuit backed off. He was passing other vehicles at high rates of speed, endangering others as he did so, according to the press release.
RMNP High-Speed Chase
Estes Park Police and Larimer County Sheriff’s Office assisted RMNP Law Enforcement Rangers as the suspect approached Estes Park. At Deer Ridge Junction near the Beaver’s Meadow Entrance, the suspect veered south. He ran over spike strips placed by law enforcement but continued to drive at high speeds toward the park’s exit.
Not long after that, he collided with another vehicle carrying three passengers. All three were transported by ambulance to Estes Park Health. One of the occupants was left with critical injuries, authorities said.
Following the collision, the driver fled his vehicle on foot. Police said he was wearing blue jeans and had no shirt or shoes. He ran from the scene south of the Beavers Meadow Visitor’s Center, headed toward the High Street neighborhood on the west side of Estes Park.
