Stealing tow truck, crashing into other drivers gets parolee another quarter century in prison

Rudy Salazar was on parole in June 2021 when he stole a tow truck and drove against oncoming traffic for five blocks in Greeley. The tow truck hit five other vehicles, the last belonging to a Greeley Police Department sergeant who was leaving headquarters in his personal vehicle.

The tow truck came to rest against the police department's security gate. Salazar took off running, but was caught and jailed.

Salazar, 39, was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections for his actions. 

"It truly is a miracle that no one was seriously injured or killed that morning," Weld County Deputy District Attorney
Christopher Jewkes stated in a press release. "It could have been a lot worse, but we're grateful that other than damage to vehicles that can be replaced, we didn't have any fatalaties."  

The incident happened June 28, 2021 at about 8 a.m. 

A misdemeanor DUI charge against Salazar was dropped.

Salazar is making his fourth trip to a DOC facility. He was on parole at the time of the 2021 incident after being sentenced to 10 years in prison regarding a 2013 assault conviction. Before that, he was sentenced to prison terms in 2009 and 2005 on criminal impersonation, vehicle theft and trespassing charges. All the crimes occurred in Greeley.