A Durango man arrested Friday night faces charges including DUI and eluding officers after allegedly driving into a ditch to avoid a roadblock and bumping into a police officer’s vehicle.
About 9:34 p.m., officers with the Durango Police Department were dispatched to a residence on the north end of town regarding a possible violation of a protection order, said police Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop. The victim led officers to believe that Jesse Nelson, 41, had violated the order and had driven a white SUV from the residence while intoxicated.
Shortly afterward, a resident called in a report of a white SUV swerving into oncoming traffic. As officers drove to where they thought Nelson might be staying, an officer noticed a white SUV following her vehicle very closely and weaving within its lane.
The officer maneuvered around behind the vehicle and made a traffic stop on County Road 206 about 10:07 p.m. The officer identified the driver as Nelson and suspected that he was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
But when the officer asked Nelson to step out of the SUV, Nelson refused and attempted to drive away.
Nelson fled toward the dead end on County Road 206 while additional officers, from the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and Colorado State Patrol, set up a roadblock with their vehicles near the location of the traffic stop.
Nelson swerved into a ditch to avoid the roadblock, and as he tried to leave the ditch, struck a police vehicle at less than 5 mph.
Nelson allegedly resisted officers as they took him into custody.
Dunlop said Nelson was booked into jail on charges of violation of a protection order and harassment, both with a domestic violence enhancer; following too closely; weaving; DUI; vehicular eluding (a Class 5 felony); and resisting arrest.
No injuries were reported. The DPD vehicle sustained minor damage.
ngonzales@durangoherald.comThis article was published March 24 to report that the suspect’s vehicle bumped into an officer’s vehicle instead of backing into it.