A Denver man who kidnapped his then-girlfriend and led police on a high-speed chase in Weld County has been sentenced to 24 years in prison, the Weld County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

This sentencing comes after Christopher Holder, 43, pleaded guilty to second-degree kidnapping and vehicular assault in June for the incident that took place on Dec. 18, 2020.

“The defendant’s actions in this case demonstrate that he is an absolute danger to the community,” said Deputy District Attorney Lillie Parker during the sentencing. “It’s a miracle no one ended up dead.”

The incident began when Holder assaulted his then-girlfriend, punching her in the face several times before handcuffing her and forcing her into his car.

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Holder then drove off with the girlfriend down Highway 85 through Fort Lupton. Soon after, a police officer tried to pull Holder over for swerving in and out of traffic lanes, according to the attorney’s office.

Holder refused to pull over and crossed the center lane of the highway, driving the wrong way toward oncoming traffic at around 100 miles per hour. More than a dozen cars had to swerve off the road to avoid being hit by Holder.

Holder then drove off the road, over an embankment and sent the car airborne, before the car landed and flipped twice. The car was also less than 50 feet away from crashing into a moving train, according to the attorney’s office.

When the car stopped, Holder ran away on foot, injected narcotics into his arm with a syringe and swallowed a handful of pills before officers caught up to him.

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The girlfriend sustained numerous severe injuries during the crash, including a broken back and lacerations to her head, according to the attorney’s office.

“The defendant’s action in this case absolutely crushed this victim,” Parker said. “He endangered the victim to the point where I cannot believe she survived. He endangered other drivers … he endangered the lives of the many officers who responded.”

Holder will serve his sentence in the Colorado Department of Corrections, according to the attorney’s office.