Two Colorado officers charged after train hits patrol car with woman, 20, handcuffed inside
A local prosecutor announced charges Monday against two Colorado police officers over a September incident in which a train struck a patrol car with a woman handcuffed inside.
Officer Jordan Steinke, of the Fort Lupton Police Department, faces two felony charges and officer Pablo Vazquez, of the Platteville Police Department, faces multiple misdemeanor charges after the incident left a 20-year-old woman with serious injuries, the Weld County District Attorney’s Office announced.
On Sept. 16, Vazquez pulled over 20-year-old Yareni Rios-Gonzalez near Platteville, Colorado, 40 miles north of Denver, in connection with a road rage incident involving a firearm reported earlier in the day.
Rios-Gonzalez stopped her vehicle just past a set of train tracks, and Vazquez parked his patrol car behind her on the tracks, according to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Two police officers from Fort Lupton, including Steinke, arrived to assist in a search of Rios-Gonzalez's vehicle. Steinke handcuffed Rios-Gonzalez and placed her inside Vazquez's patrol car parked on the tracks.
Then a train came.
Police-worn body cameras captured the harrowing moment. The train can be heard moving closer as police searched Rios-Gonzalez's vehicle. The officers notice just before it slams into the cruiser. Rios-Gonzalez sustained serious injuries, but survived, according to CBI.
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CBI and several agencies investigated the collision.
The Weld County District Attorney’s Office charged Steinke with felony counts of attempted manslaughter and second degree assault, on top of a misdemeanor reckless endangerment charge.
Vazquez was charged with five counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment, one count of careless driving, one count of obstructing a passageway and one count of parking where prohibited, the district attorney's office announced.
The district attorney’s office also announced a felony menacing charge against Rios-Gonzalez Monday. She had been accused of pointing a firearm at someone when she was arrested, the district attorney's office said.
The officers and Rios-Gonzalez were issued summons, but not arrested, the district attorney’s office said.
It was unclear Tuesday if either officer had obtained a lawyer.
Inquiries from Paste BN to the Fort Lupton and Platteville police departments about the job status of Steinke and Vazquez were not immediately returned Tuesday.
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