Suspect in motorcycle chase charged
Police searching for other biker who allegedly reached 165 mph during I-70 pursuit
April E. Clark
August 2, 2005
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GLENWOOD SPRINGS — A Parachute man is facing felony and misdemeanor charges after a high-speed motorcycle chase with Colorado State Patrol on Interstate 70 Saturday.
Clint Knox, 22, was one of two motorcyclists who prompted a high-speed pursuit after a Colorado State Patrol trooper clocked them traveling at 120 mph in a 75-mph zone near Eagle.
Knox was released from the Garfield County Jail Sunday on a $7,050 bond. He is charged on suspicion of vehicular eluding — a felony — exhibition of speed, speeding through a construction zone, reckless driving, passing illegally, and disregarding a traffic-control device.
The second motorcyclist, who has not been identified, reached speeds of more than 165 mph along I-70 before troopers ended their pursuit for traffic safety concerns.
Police are looking into a possible connection involving an injured man found Sunday morning on County Road 311, two miles south of Silt, who crashed his motorcycle Saturday evening.
“We are still investigating whether or not the motorcyclist that crashed near Silt was involved in the pursuit or not,” said State Patrol Capt. Richard Duran. “Right now we’re still looking into it. I know he has broken bones, but I don’t know to what extent are his injuries.”
The unidentified man, who remains at St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, was driving a motorcycle that matches the description of the motorcycle involved in the pursuit, Duran said.
The chase began at 7:10 p.m. Saturday when Knox and the unidentified motorcyclist allegedly disregarded a trooper’s attempt to pull them over west of Eagle. The pursuit reached speeds of 100 mph as they entered Glenwood Canyon.
A trooper allegedly clocked the bikers in excess of 100 mph while traveling through the 35-mph construction zone near No Name. Two troopers separated Knox and the second motorcyclist near South Canyon on I-70. Knox then exited onto Highway 6.
He was allegedly going faster than 140 mph after allegedly eluding police at a Highway 6 roadblock and within New Castle town limits.
Knox allegedly avoided a second roadblock in Silt, but rear-ended a patrol car going approximately 55 mph after trying to pass between two troopers during a “rolling roadblock.” Knox suffered minor injuries.
“A rolling roadblock is a method we use to stop motorcycles or vehicles,” Duran said. “With motorcycles, we can’t really do tire deflation because of safety concerns. We use patrol cars, in this case, two, with one in front and one in back that gradually slow to a safe speed and don’t completely block the driver.
“We always leave an escape route,” he added. “In this case, he attempted to go around one and wasn’t paying attention and didn’t leave himself enough room.”
The have been other high-speed chases in Colorado this summer, Duran said.
“It’s not specifically by motorcyclists, but the public in general,” he said. “In the last few months, we have a couple of people go well over 100 mph attempting to flee. That’s extremely fast and extremely dangerous.”