Updated at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 8, 2024.
One police officer is dead and another is seriously injured following a suspected DUI crash Wednesday night in Golden.
The incident happened just before 5 p.m. on Highway 58 east of Washington Avenue as three officers were investigating a crash on the overpass.
Two officers were managing the crash site while the other was inside a police cruiser on the side of the road. According to the Colorado State Patrol, the driver of a passing vehicle then struck the investigating officers, pushing them beneath the original crash.
Officer Evan Dunn, a 33-year-old military veteran, died at the scene. Three other people were hurt, including his field training officer, Bethany Grusing, who was transported to a local area hospital with serious injuries. According to the Officers Down Memorial page, this is Colorado’s first line of duty death so far in 2024.
According to a Facebook post from the City of Golden, Dunn joined the department after completing the academy in July. Prior to his police service, he was an Army Aviation Officer and Blackhawk pilot. He was also an active Captain in the Army National Guard. Officer Dunn is survived by his wife, Annalise, as well as his parents and two siblings.
Golden Police Chief Joe Harvey said the department is working on funeral arrangements.
"We are a family," he said in the post. "We are very close with each other and with our community. Evan had a bright future and was destined to do great things, and we will never get over his loss. We can only continue doing the job he loved in his honor."
The Colorado State Patrol Vehicular Crimes Unit is investigating the incident and have charged 43-year-old Stephen Geer with Vehicular Homicide while driving under the influence, two counts of vehicular assault and a felony charge connected to the state's upgraded Move Over law. It is unclear whether Geer was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or a combination of substances.
Gov. Jared Polis signed HB23-1123 into law in 2023, requiring drivers to move over a lane when passing a stationary vehicle on a highway or slow down to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit. The new protections came after 2022 marked the deadliest year on Colorado roads since 1981.
Geer is a Teaching Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines, the university confirmed Thursday. In a statement, Mines President Paul C. Johnson said he is aware of Geer’s involvement in the incident and that the school is grieving with the officers, their families and police department.
“We pray for the recovery of the injured officer, and we will look for ways to offer support during this incredibly difficult time,” said Johnson.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
