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Suspect of vehicle break-ins dead after chase leads to fatal crash on U.S. 6 Tuesday

By October 15, 2025 | updated 2 months ago

A 29-year-old male suspect who officials believe to have been involved in at least 25 vehicle break-ins across multiple counties over the past two weeks fatally crashed during a police chase on U.S. 6 Tuesday afternoon.

After an extended chase that included multiple turnarounds on I-70, the suspect vehicle, a Chrysler Town and Country driving eastbound with deflating tires on U.S. 6, lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic, hitting a westbound motorist, according to news releases from the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office and Colorado State Patrol. The suspect was later identified by authorities as Christopher Neil Moore.

The westbound vehicle, a Lexus RX350, rolled into Clear Creek just east of Tunnel 6, according to the releases. Its driver, later identified by authorities as 51-year-old Steven Ainsworth of Arvada, was airlifted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and was later pronounced dead. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

The incident began Tuesday morning, when Clear Creek deputies took reports of vehicle trespasses at the Microtel Hotel in Georgetown, according to the Clear Creek release. While investigating, authorities connected the suspect to at least 25 vehicle trespasses in Summit and Eagle counties, with stolen items including a gun and ammunition.

Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, authorities received information that the suspect vehicle was in the area of Highway 40 at Floyd Hill, the Clear Creek release says. As the vehicle traveled west on the roadway and tried to turn left on U.S. 6, officers tried to initiate a traffic stop. The vehicle fled westbound and went the wrong way up the I-70 eastbound ramp, before driving the wrong way on the interstate.

After about a half mile of travel, the vehicle turned eastbound on the interstate and began driving in that direction at a high rate of speed, according to the Clear Creek release. A deputy blocking the off-ramp to U.S. 6 east deployed stop sticks on the roadway but the vehicle hit them and continued driving on the highway.

As the vehicle’s tires were deflating from the stop sticks, it continued driving eastbound on the roadway until the driver lost control just beyond the tunnel, driving into the westbound lane and hitting the Lexus, according to the CSP release. A 27-year-old female passenger in the suspect vehicle was also taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The Jefferson County Coroner will release the victim’s identity in the coming days pending an autopsy and notification of family.

Michael Braithwaite

Reporter

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