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Deputy who was shot last year uses vehicle to stop I-70 wrong-way driver

Lincoln County Deputy Michael Hutton had minor injuries after putting his patrol car between the wrong-way driver and other motorists.

LINCOLN COUNTY, Colorado — A Lincoln County deputy who was shot three times last year while responding to a theft-in-progress had another close call Sunday night.

Deputy Michael Hutton had minor injuries after he used his patrol vehicle to stop a wrong-way driver on Interstate 70, a couple of miles east of Arriba.

"I thought about my family, my unborn child on the way in about a month, and I had a duty to preserve life and, in this case, that took over," Hutton said.

According to the Sheriff's Office, numerous calls came in of a driver going west on eastbound I-70 on Sunday night. Hutton tried several times to get the driver's attention before he made the decision to put his vehicle between the driver and other motorists.

"I thought I need to put an end to this before someone gets seriously hurt or killed," Hutton said.

The wrong-way driver also had minor injuries, the Sheriff's Office said.

It wasn't clear how far the driver – a 58-year-old woman – had been going the wrong way on I-70, but a Colorado State Patrol spokesman said the preliminary investigation showed she had suffered a medical episode. She wasn't issued a citation, though the investigation wasn't yet complete.

I-70 eastbound was closed for about an hour after the 9 p.m. crash and reopened around 10 p.m., the CSP spokesman said.

> Video below: Deputy Michael Hutton's body camera footage from crashing into the wrong-way driver:

Credit: Lincoln County Sheriff's Office
Lincoln County Deputy Michael Hutton gives a thumbs-up while being treated for minor injuries after he used his vehicle to stop a wrong-way driver on Interstate 70.

In May 2021, Hutton was shot three times while responding to a theft-in-progress on Highway 40 near Hugo. A professional truck driver was awakened by noises in the area and spotted a man "actively" stealing from the back of a semi-trailer that had been forcefully opened.

Within seconds of getting out of his vehicle, Hutton came under fire and was hit multiple times.

Hutton was wearing a bulletproof vest, but the vest was not struck by any of the gunfire.

The man who deputies said shot Hutton was later found dead in a field from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Hutton said despite all he's been through, he has never questioned his commitment to being a law enforcement officer, though he admitted the topic has come up several times with his wife.

"One, two or three hundred times, yes. But she knows this is what I want to do with my life. I don't think twice about what I need to do to protect other people," Hutton said.

> Videos below: Deputy Michael Hutton shares the story of the ambush that nearly killed him:

This story includes previous reporting from 9NEWS.

RELATED: Months after he was ambushed, Lincoln County Deputy Michael Hutton is back at work

RELATED: Body camera video shows Lincoln County deputy was shot 45 seconds after exiting vehicle

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