Archive for Thursday, June 19, 2003
Manhunt suspect charged with 5 violations
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A man who led law enforcement agents on a three-hour manhunt Tuesday night after fleeing the scene of a car accident in Phippsburg has been charged with five criminal violations.
Colorado State Patrol Trooper Ryan Parker said Brian Scott Turner, 33, was charged with failure to remain at the scene of an accident with injury, failure to notify police of an accident, driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of 1 ounce or less or marijuana and driving with a restricted driver's license.
Turner's license had been restricted after an earlier incident when he had refused to let police administer an alcohol test. Parker said police had suspected that he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Turner had two warrants when he was arrested Tuesday, one for failure to appear in court for an insurance violation and another for failure to appear in court for a marijuana or drug paraphernalia possession charge.
Parker believed the warrants were from the Denver metro area. Both warrants were nonextraditable, which means that the suspect cannot be transported to the original site of the arrest if it is more than 100 miles from the point of a subsequent arrest.
Parker said Turner was not taken to Routt County Jail because he had to remain in the Yampa Valley Medical Center overnight, due to injuries he obtained in the accident. He was summonsed and released from the hospital, instead of the jail, Parker said.
Turner had head and chest trauma from the accident.
Joe Bill Wilcoxson, the other driver involved in the collision, will receive a citation for the accident, Parker said. Wilcoxson was not badly injured in the accident and refused an ambulance.
Wilcoxson was turning left from Routt County Road 19 onto County Road 15 when he hit Turner's vehicle. Turner was traveling west on County Road 15. Parker said it is a blind turn.
The vehicles collided nearly head on about 5:30 p.m.
After the accident, Turner fled the scene. A manhunt ensued, involving the Colorado State Patrol, Routt County Sheriff's Office, Yampa Volunteer Fire Department and Routt County Search and Rescue. The State Patrol investigated the case.
Police found a substantial amount of blood in Turner's vehicle and suspected he was injured in the accident.
About 8:30 p.m., Turner was spotted about a mile and a half away from the accident site. He was wearing only shorts, and was wet, apparently from running through irrigation ditches.
He was uncooperative and was taken directly to the hospital for treatment of severe cuts on his face and chest contusions.
Parker said Turner's address on his license is listed as Glenwood Springs, but he also has addresses in Carbondale, Redstone and one in Steamboat Springs, though that may be a friend's residence.
Turner is scheduled to appear in court July 15.
-- To reach Erin Ragan call 871-4232
or e-mail intern@steamboatpilot.com

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