Northern Colorado deputies arrest 130mph driver, accuse him of operating vehicle illegally modified for racing
A Northern Colorado man was arrested after deputies say he drove 130 miles per hour on Interstate 25, nearly twice the posted speed limit, while traveling through Larimer County. Deputies accused the driver of operating a vehicle intended for a "cannonball run," or a race across the United States.
According to the Larimer County Sheriff's Office, a deputy traveling southbound on I-25 spotted the vehicle moving at a high rate of speed in the opposite direction on May 30. The deputy first spotted the vehicle near the I-25 exit for Windsor.
"Our deputies observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed," said Larimer County Sgt. Sam Roth. "What they said was the vehicle was going 130 miles per hour on Interstate 25."
The vehicle, described as a blacked-out Ford, allegedly traveled from the Windsor exit area to south of Wellington as multiple deputies responded and attempted to catch up. Deputies reported that they were driving more than 100 miles per hour and that the car was getting farther away from them.
They added that the vehicle appeared to resemble a police car but contained what they described as illegal modifications. Authorities said the vehicle was equipped with the ability to turn vehicle lights off, a device that covered the license plate and a radar jammer.
After taking the Mount Vista exit #217, deputies said the vehicle continued traveling at speeds around twice the posted limit on two-lane roads westbound toward Fort Collins.
Roth described the vehicle as one built for a "cannonball run," a challenge in which participants attempt to drive across the United States in the shortest possible time.
"I can't think of an instance we've actually encountered a vehicle like this before," Roth said.
Deputies eventually stopped the vehicle and arrested the driver, Gregg Barclay, and the passenger, David Bandler. Authorities said both men are facing charges. Investigators believe the passenger was helping the driver evade the police. They also said they found evidence in the duo's vehicle indicating they were attempting to warn other drivers of the police presence in the area.
"The passenger was able to assist in the crimes that the driver was arrested for," Roth said.
The sheriff's office said Barclay was featured on a YouTube channel where he discussed modifying a vehicle, similar to the impounded car, to drive across the country in just over 30 hours, a video that CBS News Colorado was also able to view online.
Law enforcement officials said driving at such speeds puts other motorists at significant risk.
"We're not just there to find people and give them tickets when they are traveling that fast," Roth said. "When you are going 130 miles an hour, it puts everyone at risk."
The sheriff's office said the average driver takes about 1.5 seconds to react to an obstacle on the roadway. At 130 miles an hour, authorities said a vehicle would travel roughly the length of a football field before the driver could even begin reacting.
