DENVER — The westbound lanes of Interstate 70 in Denver reopened about 4:50 p.m. Thursday following a high-speed chase that ended with the death of an armed carjacking suspect out of Arapahoe County.
The westbound lanes had been closed at Interstate 270 since about 11:30 a.m. Backups extended for miles. As of 5:10 p.m., the Washington Street exit remained closed.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said a man stole a car at gunpoint outside a liquor store at 1497 Main St. in Strasburg, roughly 35 miles east of Denver, about 10:48 a.m.
The sheriff’s office said a deputy saw the car on Interstate 70 and began pursuing.
The chase reached speeds in excess of 100 mph before it ended near the Washington Street exit, the sheriff’s office said.
“Deputies made repeated commands for the suspect to get out of the car but he refused. Denver Police officers arrived on scene and assisted in attempting to get the suspect to comply with orders. During these attempts to gain compliance, the suspect shot himself,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release issued Thursday evening.
Deputies and officers performed life-saving efforts before the man was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.