Colorado State Patrol trooper stops wrong-way driver with patrol car

A Colorado State Patrol trooper used his patrol vehicle to perform a head-on collision to stop a wrong-way driver on Interstate 76 near Fort Morgan early Sunday morning.

At approximately 2:20 a.m., reports indicated a red Honda HR-V was traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-76. Trooper Talamantes located the vehicle and, after activating emergency lights, collided with the Honda front-first to prevent it from striking other motorists.

The driver, 36-year-old Claudia Z. Rodriguez of Sterling, Colorado, was taken into custody. She faces multiple charges, including driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, reckless driving, possessing an open alcoholic container in a motor vehicle, and failure to provide valid insurance. Rodriguez was booked into the Morgan County Jail following medical evaluation.

Trooper Talamantes was treated for minor injuries at a local medical facility and released. The roadway was closed for the duration of the crash investigation but reopened around 6:45 a.m.