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‘Truly lucky’: Suspected car thief only one injured after Arvada crash

Arvada Crash

Arvada Police arrested one person who crashed a stolen car at Wadsworth Boulevard and 76th Avenue Monday morning, saying the number of injuries and amount of damage could have been higher.

The Toyota FJ Cruiser, which was reported stolen in Adams County, crossed multiple lanes of traffic before smashing into a traffic control box, according to investigators. 

The control box was demolished and the force of the impact pushed it from its foundations, according to Arvada Police Public Information Officer Detective David Snelling. The vehicle careened a brief ways before hitting the traffic light.

The Denver metro area has struggled recently with addressing the increasing number of car thefts here. Depending on car value, stealing a car may result in a misdemeanor charge as opposed to a felony. Some lawmakers point to this as a reason for the rise in car theft and want to make all vehicle theft a felony, regardless of value. 

Despite the “dramatic” damage to the large Toyota, the driver escaped the wreckage and attempted to flee on foot, Snelling said. Officers caught up to the suspect, who was arrested and taken to a local hospital. Arvada Police did not release the suspect’s name or provide an update on injuries.

That the crash only injured one person, the driver, was lucky considering the intersection, Snelling said. 

“The traffic signal was red when the crash happened,” he said. “If it wasn’t, we would have had a head-on collision. We are truly lucky no one else was injured.”

The crash damaged the traffic light at the intersection, but Snelling said Colorado Department of Transportation workers restored partial functionality to it. As of 2:30 p.m. Monday, he said the signal is flashing yellow for drivers on Wadsworth Boulevard and red for those on 76th Avenue. Motorists should treat a flashing red light as they would a stop sign.

Full signal repairs could take days. 

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