RyanRJ
10-13-2007, 17:15
Trooper Hit By Teen Driver On I-76 Dies
Another Trooper In Serious Condition
DENVER -- One of the two troopers hit by a teenage driver Thursday night was pronounced dead Friday evening.
Troopers Zachariah Templeton, 27, and Scott Hinshaw, 38, were helping a motorist in the median of Interstate 76 when a teenage driver swerved into them while trying to avoid the cars that had stopped in front of him, the Colorado State Patrol said.
Templeton was airlifted to Denver Health Medical Center in critical condition. He was pronounced dead Friday night. He had never regained consciousness.
"Templeton was best described by fellow troopers and supervisors as an individual with a big heart and willingness to help others. It is that desire to serve which led Templeton to respond to the call of a fellow officer. He served the citizens of Colorado with dignity and honor for four years following his graduation from the CSP Academy in 2003," the CSP said Friday night.
Hinshaw is in serious condition.
"The Colorado State Patrol wishes to thank members of our communities for what has already been a tremendous amount of support. We also ask that they continue to keep all members of our CSP family in their thoughts as we grieve the loss of Trooper Templeton and support the recovery of Trooper Hinshaw," the CSP said in a statement Friday night.
"It's not an easy thing for an agency that is in the business of preventing accidents to have troopers so devastatingly injured," said Col. Mark Trostel, chief of the state patrol.
CSP investigators said the driver of the F-150 pickup is a 17-year-old, but they haven't released his identity.
"It's a pretty screwed-up situation. We've never had to deal with anything like this before," said the teen's mother, in tears. The family has hired an attorney.
The teen driver, a student at Brighton Heritage High School -- an alternative high school in Adams County -- also had a 16-year-old passenger in his car. Neither were hurt in the crash.
Troopers are shaken about what happened.
"I somewhat feel a bit helpless in a situation like this ... Fortunately, we have some of the best physicians and one of the best trauma centers in the country in Denver Health, and I'm thankful the troopers were taken there," Trostel said.
Templeton is survived by his 3-year-old daughter Samantha; his mother and father, Teresa and Doug; as well as his brother, Levi; and his girlfriend, Holly.
Hinshaw is motorcycle officer and was once an Alive at 25 instructor. Troopers in the Alive at 25 program visit various high schools teaching teens defensive driving skills and showing them videos of deadly car wrecks to scare teenage drivers straight, so they can make it beyond their 25th birthday.
"It is a bit ironic that a minor was involved in this crash," Trostel said. "We care about the people we serve. And we care about each other. And when something like this happens, it hurts."
No drugs or alcohol are suspected. No charges have been filed yet.
Trostel said that a trooper's death would "weigh into the equation on what kind of charges we might file."
The troopers were in the grassy median Thursday afternoon helping Terrance Rice, 65, of Erie, Colo., reload two plastic farm water tanks that had fallen off his flatbed trailer. It was about 4:40 p.m. -- in the middle of rush-hour traffic.
The troopers activated their emergency lights when they stopped in the median of the interstate, just east of 96th Avenue, Master Trooper Ron Watkins said.
The activity in the median and the flashing lights caused traffic on the interstate to slow.
"The teen driver failed to recognize that the traffic was slowing down. He suddenly applied his brakes and steered to the left to avoid crashing into the vehicle ahead of him," said Watkins. "The maneuver caused his truck to skid and slide into the median, where the troopers and driver of the pickup were working."
"I heard a tire screech, a big bang and the two officers I found lying under a pickup," Rice said.
Rice said he was "very grateful for the two officers who were helping me ... They didn't deserve what happened. They were being very friendly and very helpful."
The last time that a CSP trooper was killed in the line of duty was Jan. 1, 2001. Trooper Jason Manspeaker died in a crash near the Eisenhower Tunnel as he was trying to respond to a sighting of two of the "Texas Seven" fugitives.
Commerce City police are asking people who may witnessed the crash on I-76 to call 303-288-1535.
Funeral arrangements for Templeton have not been released. All Colorado State troopers will be shrouding their badges in honor of their fallen colleague.
Another Trooper In Serious Condition
DENVER -- One of the two troopers hit by a teenage driver Thursday night was pronounced dead Friday evening.
Troopers Zachariah Templeton, 27, and Scott Hinshaw, 38, were helping a motorist in the median of Interstate 76 when a teenage driver swerved into them while trying to avoid the cars that had stopped in front of him, the Colorado State Patrol said.
Templeton was airlifted to Denver Health Medical Center in critical condition. He was pronounced dead Friday night. He had never regained consciousness.
"Templeton was best described by fellow troopers and supervisors as an individual with a big heart and willingness to help others. It is that desire to serve which led Templeton to respond to the call of a fellow officer. He served the citizens of Colorado with dignity and honor for four years following his graduation from the CSP Academy in 2003," the CSP said Friday night.
Hinshaw is in serious condition.
"The Colorado State Patrol wishes to thank members of our communities for what has already been a tremendous amount of support. We also ask that they continue to keep all members of our CSP family in their thoughts as we grieve the loss of Trooper Templeton and support the recovery of Trooper Hinshaw," the CSP said in a statement Friday night.
"It's not an easy thing for an agency that is in the business of preventing accidents to have troopers so devastatingly injured," said Col. Mark Trostel, chief of the state patrol.
CSP investigators said the driver of the F-150 pickup is a 17-year-old, but they haven't released his identity.
"It's a pretty screwed-up situation. We've never had to deal with anything like this before," said the teen's mother, in tears. The family has hired an attorney.
The teen driver, a student at Brighton Heritage High School -- an alternative high school in Adams County -- also had a 16-year-old passenger in his car. Neither were hurt in the crash.
Troopers are shaken about what happened.
"I somewhat feel a bit helpless in a situation like this ... Fortunately, we have some of the best physicians and one of the best trauma centers in the country in Denver Health, and I'm thankful the troopers were taken there," Trostel said.
Templeton is survived by his 3-year-old daughter Samantha; his mother and father, Teresa and Doug; as well as his brother, Levi; and his girlfriend, Holly.
Hinshaw is motorcycle officer and was once an Alive at 25 instructor. Troopers in the Alive at 25 program visit various high schools teaching teens defensive driving skills and showing them videos of deadly car wrecks to scare teenage drivers straight, so they can make it beyond their 25th birthday.
"It is a bit ironic that a minor was involved in this crash," Trostel said. "We care about the people we serve. And we care about each other. And when something like this happens, it hurts."
No drugs or alcohol are suspected. No charges have been filed yet.
Trostel said that a trooper's death would "weigh into the equation on what kind of charges we might file."
The troopers were in the grassy median Thursday afternoon helping Terrance Rice, 65, of Erie, Colo., reload two plastic farm water tanks that had fallen off his flatbed trailer. It was about 4:40 p.m. -- in the middle of rush-hour traffic.
The troopers activated their emergency lights when they stopped in the median of the interstate, just east of 96th Avenue, Master Trooper Ron Watkins said.
The activity in the median and the flashing lights caused traffic on the interstate to slow.
"The teen driver failed to recognize that the traffic was slowing down. He suddenly applied his brakes and steered to the left to avoid crashing into the vehicle ahead of him," said Watkins. "The maneuver caused his truck to skid and slide into the median, where the troopers and driver of the pickup were working."
"I heard a tire screech, a big bang and the two officers I found lying under a pickup," Rice said.
Rice said he was "very grateful for the two officers who were helping me ... They didn't deserve what happened. They were being very friendly and very helpful."
The last time that a CSP trooper was killed in the line of duty was Jan. 1, 2001. Trooper Jason Manspeaker died in a crash near the Eisenhower Tunnel as he was trying to respond to a sighting of two of the "Texas Seven" fugitives.
Commerce City police are asking people who may witnessed the crash on I-76 to call 303-288-1535.
Funeral arrangements for Templeton have not been released. All Colorado State troopers will be shrouding their badges in honor of their fallen colleague.