A Douglas County deputy pulled off a tense roadside save on Park Meadows Drive near Yosemite Street on Monday afternoon, cutting off a wrong‑way driver that investigators say was just seconds from a head‑on crash. The driver, described by the sheriff's office as a Denver resident, was taken into custody and faces a DUI charge.
Dashcam Shows Close Call And Quick Thinking
Dashcam footage released by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office shows the deputy repeatedly hitting the horn to warn oncoming drivers before forcing the wrong‑way vehicle to a controlled stop, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. The agency says the move cut off a head‑on collision that was only moments away and that the driver was booked on suspicion of driving under the influence.
Wrong‑Way Crashes Pack Outsized Danger
Traffic safety researchers say wrong‑way crashes are relatively rare yet disproportionately deadly. An analysis by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found an average of roughly 430 deaths per year from fatal wrong‑way crashes between 2010 and 2018 and noted that alcohol is frequently a factor, according to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
Charges And What Comes Next
The sheriff's office says authorities charged the driver with DUI. As with any arrest, those charges are only allegations, and the person is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. Colorado's rules on driving under the influence are laid out in CRS 42‑4‑1301, which treats most DUI offenses as misdemeanors and increases penalties for repeat offenders, per the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Another Close Call On South‑Metro Roads
The near head‑on at Park Meadows is one of several recent cases where Douglas County deputies say they have pulled impaired drivers off the road just in time. Last year, a deputy stopped a wrong‑way DUI suspect on Highway 85 in a similarly dangerous situation, according to KRDO. The sheriff's office shared the latest dashcam clip on Facebook as a pointed reminder that impaired driving can turn any stretch of roadway into a danger zone for everyone nearby.
