Deputy Supervisor Gulzow, an original member of the Courtesy Patrol, died of injuries received while directing traffic at Red Rocks near Denver. On June 22, 1941, Gulzow was riding a motorcycle and passing stopped traffic when an automobile suddenly made a left turn in front of him. He was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital and died on June 26, 1941, due to the severity of his injuries.
Gulzow entered the Patrol September 23, 1935.
Patrolman McCarty was killed when a truck hit his patrol car head-on near Hudson on Colorado 6 on January 22, 1946. McCarty was returning to Wray from Denver with Leslie Dale Wells, an automobile dealer. Wells died instantly, and McCarty was taken to Colorado General Hospital where he died two days later. An investigation showed the oncoming truck was on the wrong side of the road and weaving when the accident occurred. The truck driver was charged with manslaughter.
McCarty entered the Patrol December 1, 1944.
Patrolman Bechtelheimer (Beck) was the first Colorado State Patrol Officer to be slain in the line of duty. While patrolling Highway 85-87 north of Colorado Springs, he encountered a green Buick traveling southbound at a high speed. Before Beck could approach the vehicle, the passenger exited the car and came around the back of the car behind Beck. Beck spun around and struck him with his flashlight. The passenger shot Beck in the chest and in the left arm. Beck returned to his patrol car to call for help, before dying of his injuries. The driver and passenger were apprehended later that evening north of Colorado Springs and were sentenced to life in prison.
Bechtelheimer entered the Patrol December 1, 1944.
Sergeant Rosette was killed near Price, Utah, in a collision with two trucks. Rosette and Grand Junction Sheriff E. E. Redmon were en route to pick up a prisoner for return to Colorado. They met an eastbound truck passing another eastbound truck. The passing truck cut in too soon and struck the other truck, which swerved in front of the oncoming Sheriff ’s car. The Sheriff was seriously injured but survived. Rosette was killed instantly.
Rosette entered the Patrol July 18, 1936.
Patrolmen Phillips and Gresham died instantly when their patrol car was smashed between two semi trucks seven miles southeast of Hugo on U.S. 287. The officers had stopped a southbound truck and were issuing clearance to the driver, seated in the patrol car’s back seat. A truck approaching from the rear smashed into the back of the patrol car, ramming it into the stopped semi. The patrol car was pushed forward more than sixty-five feet, and the stopped semi was pushed forward seventy feet with its brakes set. All were killed instantly. The driver had not applied the brakes prior to impact. It was suspected he had fallen asleep.
Phillips entered the Patrol November 1, 1954.
Patrolmen Gresham and Phillips died instantly when their patrol car was smashed between two semi trucks seven miles southeast of Hugo on U.S. 287. The officers had stopped a southbound truck and were issuing clearance to the driver, seated in the patrol car’s back seat. A truck approaching from the rear smashed into the back of the patrol car, ramming it into the stopped semi. The patrol car was pushed forward more than sixty-five feet, and the stopped semi was pushed forward seventy feet with its brakes set. All were killed instantly. The driver had not applied the brakes prior to impact. It was suspected he had fallen asleep.
Gresham entered the Patrol January 3, 1956.
Patrolman Cahalan was killed in a patrol car accident seven miles west of Kremmling when his patrol car went off the road and down a fifty foot embankment. He may have been forced off the road by an oncoming vehicle, but this was never verified. Jack Traux of the State Game and Fish Department accompanied Cahalan. Traux suffered a broken leg and back injuries.
Cahalan entered the Patrol November 1, 1948.
Corporal Edstrom was wounded on September 19, 1959, during a gun battle with three fugitives from New Mexico. The fleeing car crashed through a Durango roadblock on U.S. 550. The chase was terminated when the wanted car went down a dead-end alley. The driver and a passenger jumped out with their hands up. However, a second passenger ran and Edstrom stopped him as he tried to get into another car. During the ensuing gun battle, Edstrom was hit twice. Assisting officers from the Durango Police Department opened fire, hitting the suspect five times. He died instantly. Edstrom was hospitalized at Mercy Hospital in Durango and died on October 28, 1959.
Edstrom entered the Patrol May 21, 1951.
Lieutenant Short was traveling from his new post in Craig to Castle Rock when he responded to a request for assistance from Colorado Department of Wildlife officer Bob Hoover. Hoover had encountered a parked vehicle and decided to check the vehicle ownership when he saw a rifle. The driver pulled out a Walther P38 handgun and shot Grand County Sheriff Chancy Van Pelt, who also had responded to the scene. He then shot Short and fired at Hoover. Hoover and Van Pelt survived their injuries, but Short died during surgery. The suspect was spotted two days later by a train crew. He was later sentenced to life imprisonment in the Colorado State Penitentiary.
Short entered the Patrol July 16,1946.
Patrolman Carhart and Sergeant Alcorn were killed in an accident while on normal patrol assignment. Alcorn was conducting a training and evaluation on duty tour to observe rookie Carhart’s performance. The patrol car was eastbound on Colorado 72 when it went out of control on a curve. The car ran off the road and rolled. Both officers were fatally injured. The exact cause of the accident was never determined.
Carhart entered the Patrol November 1, 1965.
Sergeant Alcorn and Patrolman Carhart were killed in an accident while on normal patrol assignment. Alcorn was conducting a training and evaluation on duty tour to observe rookie Carhart’s performance. The patrol car was eastbound on Colorado 72 when it went out of control on a curve. The car ran off the road and rolled. Both officers were fatally injured. The exact cause of the accident was never determined.
Alcorn entered the Patrol October 1, 1953.
Patrolman Williams was killed while assisting two motorists near Rocky Ford on Colorado 50. One motorist was out of gas, and the other was stuck in the median. While Williams was walking on the roadway, a vehicle driven by a La Junta man hit him. Williams was transported to a hospital in La Junta and was pronounced dead on arrival.
Williams entered the Patrol November 6, 1961.
Patrolman Enloe was on Interstate 25 north of Trinidad when he stopped a stolen blue station wagon for a traffic violation. While Enloe was seated in the patrol car, the driver shot Enloe with a .38 caliber gun. The suspect then stopped a Volkswagen driven by a Sergeant of the U.S. Army. He said he had killed a police officer and to cooperate fully, or he would kill his infant child. At a roadblock south of Pueblo, they were allowed to proceed on their way. The driver taken hostage let the suspect out in Pueblo and returned to the roadblock to tell officers what had happened. The suspect was caught and later found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced to 34-50 years.
Enloe entered the Patrol May 19, 1965.
Patrolman Carpenter stopped a 1964 Chevrolet on the westbound ramp from Broadway onto Colorado 36. A physical altercation developed between Carpenter and the occupants. It is believed Carpenter was kidnapped and his service weapon taken from him. At 10:00 a.m., he gave his location as Interstate 70 and Havana, eight miles out of his assigned area. Shortly after this, Carpenter and his patrol car were found in a Montbello parking lot. Carpenter had been shot four times with his own weapon from the back seat of the patrol car. No one was charged with the murder, and the case is considered closed. The two prime suspects were killed in unrelated violent altercations.
Carpenter entered the Patrol April 22, 1968.
Patrolman Ross was investigating an accident six miles west of Hugo on U.S. 287. After completing his investigation, he backed over a bent delineator post and then drove forward slightly. The post forced a hole in the trunk of the car and pushed the exhaust pipe into the hole. Ross called a supervisor to report his accident. He left the engine running while he finished the report from the previous accident. Two truck drivers found Ross unconscious and called for help on the patrol car radio. A doctor from Hugo pronounced Ross dead at the scene. Tests indicated he died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Ross entered the Patrol February 25, 1973.
Patrolman James stopped a pickup driving westbound on Colorado 24 near Limon. While James was running a driver’s license check, the driver assaulted him and took his service revolver. James tried to regain control of the situation but he was shot several times. The suspect left James beside the road and disabled the patrol car radio. A short time later, a truck driver with a CB radio called the Limon dispatch office and reported a wounded officer. James was dead by the time the doctor arrived. The suspect surrendered after three hours and was later convicted of robbery, murder, and being a habitual criminal. He was sentenced to three life terms.
James entered the Patrol May 9, 1971.
Sergeant Purdy had finished his shift when dispatchers informed him of severe weather problems in the Big Thompson Canyon, west of Loveland. As Purdy proceeded into the canyon, he ordered evacuation in the lower areas below the canyon, a decision that saved hundreds of lives. Purdy encountered the torrent coming from the Devil’s Gulch tributary of the Big Thompson River and was attempting to turn himself and others away from it. Purdy’s last words to dispatch were at 9:15 p.m. Purdy was found on a sandbar eight miles below the point where he was last seen. Purdy’s patrol car was found two miles east of Drake at the bottom of a pile of eight cars. The only identifiable object was the metal key ring still in the ignition.
Purdy entered the Patrol May 22, 1950.
Trooper Galvin was the first female to be killed in the line of duty. On May 24, 1979, Galvin was investigating a fatal accident east of Pueblo involving a motorcycle and a car. At 10:20 p.m., Galvin stepped into the roadway to check a small bit of information she needed. She was struck by an eastbound vehicle. Galvin was taken to St. Mary Corwin Hospital in Pueblo. However, her injuries were too severe, and she died the next afternoon.
Galvin entered the Patrol October 10, 1977.
Trooper Farris was killed while pursuing an eastbound traffic violator near Frisco on Interstate 70. During the pursuit, the patrol car went out of control, ran off the road, and rolled. Farris was wearing his seatbelt, but the force of the rollover was so severe that he sustained critical injuries. He died a short time later at Summit Medical Center in Frisco.
Farris entered the Patrol August 6, 1979.
Trooper Fry was on routine patrol of Interstate 25 when he contacted a northbound vehicle south of the Douglas County line. He was issuing a traffic citation when a drunken driver struck Fry as he stood by the vehicle. The drunk driver failed to stop and was later apprehended by another Trooper. The suspect was convicted of vehicular homicide and is now residing in the Colorado State Penitentiary.
Fry entered the Patrol May 3, 1976.
Trooper Ynostroza died in a head-on collision with a semi-tanker truck east of Alamosa on Highway 160. His patrol car drifted across the roadway, striking the rear wheels of an eastbound gasoline tanker. Investigators believe Ynostroza fell asleep at the wheel while en route to his home in Cortez after attending a Drug Recognition Training class in Denver. Ynostroza was wearing his seatbelt, and the air bag in the patrol car deployed at the time of collision. In this particular case, the safety equipment proved to be inadequate because of the tremendous force of the collision.
Ynostroza entered the Patrol July 1, 1973.
On November 4, 1992, at 4:30 p.m., Technician Wohlers contacted a vehicle with two juvenile occupants for a traffic violation one mile east of Georgetown on Interstate 70. After calling for assistance, Wohlers was shot in the head by one of the juveniles. The suspects fled before backup could arrive. At 7:00 p.m., the two juvenile suspects were arrested as they traveled from Georgetown to Denver. The car was later determined to be stolen. The juveniles were tried as adults and convicted. The suspect who pulled the trigger and was sentenced to life in prison. His accomplice was sentenced to 32 years. Wohlers succumbed to his injuries on November 5, 1992.
Wohlers entered the Patrol October 31, 1966.
Trooper Manspeaker was responding to a call on January 23, 2001, regarding the possible sighting of two fugitives of the “Texas Seven,” who were wanted for the slaying of an Irving, Texas police officer. After passing eastbound through the Eisenhower Tunnel on dry pavement, Trooper Manspeaker’s vehicle hit the steep, icy off ramp of U.S. 6, skidding into a trailer legally parked in a snow-covered, dirt pullout. Despite the efforts of another Trooper to resuscitate him, Trooper Manspeaker died of his injuries. Sadly, the vehicle Trooper Manspeaker was seeking did not contain the “Texas Seven” fugitives, but instead was determined to belong to a local construction worker.
Manspeaker entered the Patrol July 12, 1999.
On October 11, 2007 at 4:40 p.m., Trooper Templeton and Trooper Scott Hinshaw were assisting a motorist who had lost one of two plastic farm chemical tanks he was hauling on a flatbed trailer in the median northbound on I-76, east of 96th Avenue. A Ford pickup driven by a juvenile heading northbound on I-76 approached the scene, not paying attention to traffic, and swerved to avoid hitting the slower moving vehicles in front of him. The juveniles' maneuver placed him in the median, rear-ending the motorists trailer and striking Troopers Templeton and Hinshaw, but missing the motorist they were assisting. Both Troopers suffered serious injuries and were transported to local hospitals. Unfortunately, Trooper Templeton succumbed to his injuries on October 12, 2007.
Templeton entered the Patrol July 2003.
On January 15, 2008, Trooper Tyler was working in the 5C Montrose troop, during her shift, she was seriously injured when she fell as a result of icy conditions. Subsequent to her injury, she underwent extensive medical treatments to include multiple surgeries. In November 2009, Trooper Tyler separated employment and on November 23, 2012, Molly succumbed to her injuries and left behind her husband and four children.
Tyler entered the Colorado State Patrol on January 12, 1998.
On May 23, 2015, Trooper Taylor Thyfault was riding along with Trooper Clinton Rushing as part of his ongoing training at the Colorado State Patrol Academy. During the early morning hours, Trooper Thyfault and Trooper Rushing responded to a three-car crash on Colorado Highway 66. Shortly after 8:00 a.m., another State Trooper attempted to stop a vehicle in the area of I-25 and Colorado Highway 66, approximately 3 miles from the crash scene. The suspect eluded the trooper and drove towards the crash scene where Trooper Rushing was waiting to deploy stop sticks. The suspect hit Trooper Rushing and Trooper Thyfault while eluding the pursuing trooper. Seconds before he was struck, Trooper Thyfault instructed a tow truck driver to move and take cover to avoid being hit by the fleeing suspect. Trooper Rushing suffered serious bodily injury and Trooper Thyfault succumbed to his injuries instantly at the scene.
Thyfault entered the Patrol March 15, 2015.
During the evening of November 15, 2015, Trooper Jaimie Jursevics stopped her patrol vehicle on the inside shoulder of I-25 south of Castle Rock in an effort to protect the scene of a previous crash being investigated by a fellow Trooper. At approximately 2045 hours, Trooper Jursevics was notified of a possible drunk driver headed southbound on I-25. Trooper Jursevics made contact with the reporting party and learned the suspect vehicle was approaching her location. Trooper Jursevics immediately began attempts to flag down the suspect vehicle from outside her patrol car. Moments later, the reported drunk driver collided with Trooper Jursevics, killing her instantly. The suspect vehicle fled the scene but was apprehended by the Palmer Lake Police Department approximately 15 miles from the crash scene. The suspect was taken into custody and charged with vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of a fatal crash, driving under the influence and several other offenses.
Jursevics entered the Patrol January 9, 2011.
On November 25, 2016, Trooper Cody Donahue was assisting with the investigation of a previous motor vehicle crash along northbound I-25 near Castle Rock in Douglas County, Colorado. While he stood on the right shoulder of the interstate, a commercial motor vehicle struck Trooper Donahue, killing him instantly.
Donahue entered the Colorado State Patrol on June 30, 2005
On March 13, 2019, Corporal Daniel Groves stopped to assist a motorist that had slid off the roadway on westbound Interstate 76 near Roggen, Colorado during a significant winter storm. Moments after exiting his patrol car, Corporal Groves was struck by an out of control westbound vehicle. Corporal Groves was transported to a local hospital but declared deceased a short while after arrival.
Groves entered the Patrol on July 16, 2007.
On June 14, 2019, Master Trooper William Moden was investigating a previous crash on Interstate 70 near Deer Trail, Colorado. While completing his on scene investigation and documenting roadway evidence, Master Trooper Moden was struck by a passing vehicle. Master Trooper Moden was transported to a local hospital but declared deceased a short while after arrival.
Moden entered the Patrol on January 8, 2007.