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Man arrested following high-speed chase that closed Eisenhower Tunnel

The man led police on chase on Interstate 70 in a stolen car, according to Silverthorne Police.
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Police car on the street at night

SILVERTHORNE, Colo. — A man was arrested following a high-speed chase that prompted the closure of the Eisenhower Tunnel on Interstate 70 Monday evening, according to a release from the Silverthorne Police Department (SPD).

Valeriy Sergeyevich Statovoy was arrested after crashing near the tunnel.

Credit: Summit County Sheriff's Office
Valeriy Sergeyevich Statovoy

Officers with SPD initially saw a gray sedan traveling north on Highway 9 without its headlights on near the I-70 interchange at exit 205 around 9 p.m. Monday.

The officer was aware of a report from Summit County dispatch about 20 minutes earlier about a possible kidnapping on Straight Creek Drive involving a gray sedan.  

The officer observed saw the sedan make an erratic U-turn at the intersection of Rainbow Drive and Highway 9 and then stop at a red light before running the red light to access the eastbound I-70 on ramp, the release says.

After the vehicle ran the light, the officer attempted a traffic stop on the on ramp, but the suspect drove off in the wrong direction down the ramp and struck a vehicle on Highway 6 before turning back onto the eastbound I-70 on ramp and traveling east on the highway, according to SPD.

The suspect slammed on his brakes and abruptly changed lanes in an attempt to cause a collision with the officer’s patrol car, the release says.

Upon exiting the tunnel, the suspect’s vehicle lost control and crashed.

At that time, SPD was notified that the suspect and his vehicle were not involved in the attempted kidnapping, however, the vehicle he was driving was reported stolen from Glenwood Springs.

The man in the vehicle fled the area but was located hiding nearby in a wooded area and was taken into custody. 

The attempted kidnapping case is still under investigation by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office but is not related to this incident.

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