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Suspected Drugged Driver Crashes Into Patrol Car, New Cars At Kia Dealership

GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo. (CBS4) - A driver is suspected of driving under the influence of drugs after he crashed into a Greenwood Village Police patrol car and damaged more than two dozen brand new cars at a Kia dealership.

Police said the man driving a 2005 Honda Pilot, Joshua Jerrod Lopez, crashed into an unmarked patrol car that was parked at the curb in the 6800 block of South Clinton Court about 10 a.m.

dealership crash map
(credit: CBS)

Lopez, of Aurora, sideswiped the patrol car and then came to a stop in the middle of the street.

The officer approached the vehicle to help when Lopez, 22, who appeared to be disoriented, tried to assault the police officer.

"He thought he had a medical condition and when he went to see if the driver was okay, he took a swing at the officer, hit the gas and took off," said Arapahoe Kia General Manager Dustin Pew.

That's when Lopez accelerated at a high rate of speed and lost control of the Honda. He ran over the curb and sidewalk and struck a power pole.

The Honda rolled multiple times into the Arapahoe Kia car dealership at 9400 East Arapahoe Road and struck four new vehicles on the lot. At least another 20 vehicles were damaged in the rollover by flying debris and rocks with scratches to the paint and cracks in the windshield.

"We've got 27 vehicles that have damage ranging from minor rock chips to major front end impact," said Pew.

Kia Dealership Crash
A driver crashed into a Greenwood Village Police patrol car and several new cars at the Kia dealership (credit: CBS)

Witnesses describe a lot of debris that was caused by just one vehicle rolling over.

"The car come to a stop after it already impacted and a huge cloud of dust and the rocks that were falling looked like the end of a tidal wave or a volcano eruption," said Pew.

Lopez got out of the Honda and the police officer rushed to help him. He was rushed to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

"I saw him as the officer pulled him out of the car and he was awake," said Pew.

Lopez has been charged with driving under the influence of drugs, reckless driving and reckless endangerment. What drugs Lopez is suspected of being under is not being released but witnesses told police he may have been huffing paint.

"The fact that no lives were lost and didn't make it out into the heavy traffic so nobody else was impacted so that's a blessing in disguise," said Pew.

The accident is being investigated by the Colorado State Patrol because a police vehicle was involved.

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