Suspect arrested after traffic incident, pursuit in Fort Collins

DENVER (KDVR) — A man was arrested after he allegedly crashed into the back of another vehicle in a road rage incident before eluding law enforcement in Fort Collins Friday night.

Fort Collins Police Services said in a press release that the incident began around 11:30 p.m. when a caller told dispatchers they were being followed in a possible traffic incident.

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The caller said they were being followed by a dark Ford F-150 with Wyoming license plates. The dispatcher told them to drive to the Fort Collins Police Department building.

Police said that as the driver was heading toward the police services building, the suspect “slammed him from behind and continued to follow him.”

FCPS officers located the vehicles on Zeigler Road. Police initiated a traffic stop, but the suspect driving the truck “disregarded” the traffic stop and fled northbound on Timberline Road, police said.

A short time later, the truck was spotted heading north on Interstate 25 by the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office.

“The driver eluded deputies and drove east on County Road 64 at speeds in excess of 100 mph and at some point during the pursuit struck a deputy’s patrol car,” FCPS said.

As the driver approached County Road 102 and County Road 19, police said the vehicle left the road and crashed into a farm field.

The driver, identified as 52-year-old Jimmy Whitver, was taken to the hospital for evaluation and released a short time later. He was arrested by FCPS and charged including:

Second Degree Attempted Assault (6 counts)
Driving under the influence (1 count)
Evading the vehicle (1 count)
Second-degree criminal trespass on agricultural land (1 count)
Criminal Mischief (1 issue)
Harassment, stalking in a public place (1 count)

Whitver was booked into the Larimer County Jail.

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