A driver was seriously injured overnight after crashing into a Denver police patrol car stopped in the middle of Interstate 25.
Police said the patrol car was parked in the center lane of the interstate with its emergency lights on while an officer moved a mattress out of the roadway. Police had received reports of the mattress blocking the lane just after midnight Wednesday.
While the officer was out of the car moving the mattress, a driver going north on the interstate struck the patrol car at “a high rate of speed,” police said.
The officer was not injured in the crash but the driver suffered serious injuries, police said. The driver, identified as 22-year-old Avery Blanco, is expected to survive.
Blanco was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in connection with the crash, police said.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing. Northbound I-25 was closed for nearly three hours Wednesday morning as officers processed the scene.
The crash happened shortly after midnight Wednesday on northbound I-25 near the Interstate 70 interchange in north Denver, police said.
Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867. Tipsters can be anonymous and are eligible for a $2,000 reward.
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