Man arrested after driving toward Bolder Boulder race course

BOULDER, Colo. — A man was arrested after Boulder Police said they were able to stop him from driving onto the Bolder Boulder race course on Monday. 

The driver is also accused of crashing into a car in a parking lot and nearly hitting a woman who was walking while he attempted to get away from officers. 

A Boulder police officer stopped the man just after 8:15 a.m. in the parking lot of Whole Foods Market on Pearl Street after getting reports of someone who was “acting strangely” near barricades for the Bolder Boulder race, which was happening at the time. Witnesses said the man driving a dark-colored Ford Explorer was wearing a ski mask and ran two stop signs. 

Police said the man initially stopped and talked to the bicycle officer before driving away. While exiting the parking lot, the man hit another car in the lot and narrowly missed hitting a woman who was walking. 

The man then drove toward roads where Bolder Boulder participants were running before, police said, they were able to stop his vehicle and arrest him.

Police are now looking for the driver of the car that was hit and the woman who was walking nearby. 

“We are all very thankful that these two community members appear to be okay despite what happened and that we stopped this man before he could get any closer to the race,” interim Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said in a release. “I’m very proud of how swiftly our officers protected the community yesterday and I’m hopeful we can find these two people.”

Anyone who knows who these two victims are or has any information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Ed Quayle at QuayleE@bouldercolorado.gov or 720-564-2078 and reference case 24-05068.

The man who was arrested is facing possible charges of vehicular eluding, hit and run, reckless endangerment, obstruction, driving without a valid driver’s license and driving without insurance.

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