A 17-year-old male was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of felony menacing after allegedly pointing a gun at the driver of another car during a road rage incident and then leading police on a high-speed chase that reached speeds of 90 mph.
Durango Police Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop said a call around 11:30 a.m. reported a dispute at the four-way stop near Walmart.
It appeared drivers were not alternating turns when a 17-year-old driver of an orange Ford Mustang with Texas license plates abruptly pulled out in front of another driver, he said. As the other driver was merging on U.S. Highway 550/160, the juvenile reportedly pointed a handgun at the driver.
The 17-year-old then reportedly tailgated the other driver as the two headed east out of town. The other driver turned south onto Colorado Highway 172, and the 17-year-old kept heading east on U.S. Highway 160.
A trooper with Colorado State Patrol was the first to spot the vehicle, said CSP Capt. Adrian Driscoll.
The trooper pursued the vehicle about a mile. Driscoll said speeds reached 90 mph as the juvenile passed several vehicles.
About 3 miles west of Gem Village, the suspect’s vehicle was caught in traffic, and the teen pulled over and surrendered to police without incident, Driscoll said.
Dunlop said a handgun was found inside the vehicle.
The juvenile was arrested on suspicion of felony menacing and reckless driving. Dunlop said the juvenile has family in Durango, but he was unsure where the 17-year-old resides.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the juvenile was being processed and screened for possible admittance to the Grand Junction juvenile detention facility. If the juvenile’s case is turned down, it will be handed over to the local 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
