Cellphone video shows Colorado cop in "road rage" crash case; "Completely unacceptable," says victim's father

On a Saturday afternoon last August in Colorado, Polly Voss was a passenger in a car headed northbound on Interstate 25. She was planning to spend the weekend in Wyoming with friends. But for the registered nurse, things were about to change quickly and dramatically.

She noticed two cars speeding in the I-25 express lane, brake-checking each other at high speed and "inches apart" said Voss.

"It was really 10 out of 10 intensity level. I'm thinking a gun is coming out next ... this is escalating so I started recording," she told CBS Colorado.

Her video shot on her phone shows the driver of one of the cars swerving suddenly to the right out of the express lane, nearly hitting a passing Jeep, which was driven by a 17-year-old named Katie Bush. The video shows Bush trying to avoid a collision but losing control of her car, crossing back across the interstate and rolling into the median.

The Jeep ended up on its side.

"It's terrifying how quickly things can escalate out of rage and anger," said Voss, who stopped to provide medical care to the driver of the Jeep.

Voss' video, shared with CBS Colorado, would apparently lead the Colorado State Patrol to the drivers of the two "road raging" cars and an unsettling discovery; one of the drivers was an off-duty police officer. The CSP says Jack Ross, an officer with the Keenesburg Police Department, was behind the wheel of his personal car in the incident on I-25. He has been charged with reckless driving and failure to report an accident or return to the scene -- both misdemeanors. Through his attorneys, Ross declined to comment.

In their report, the Colorado State Patrol said Ross, 33, had been "tailgating another vehicle" and was "actively road raging" with the other car. The report says Ross "fled the scene." When troopers tracked him down and talked to him, they said Ross "stated that he didn't see a crash but when we spoke to his wife during the investigation separately stated that she saw that a vehicle had crashed and when she mentioned to (her husband) that she hoped the person was okay ... (Ross) stated it wasn't their fault."

Polly Voss said, "I've always been taught that police officers were there to serve and protect. This couldn't have been more opposite of that."

Voss said that when she approached the overturned Jeep to help the driver, she was "terrified" at what she would find.

"I'm thinking the person in the white Jeep is probably dead."

 Remarkably, the teenager was uninjured.

"I couldn't believe it," said Voss. "It felt like a miracle. It felt like there were angels looking over us."

And there would be another unexpected twist -- Katie Bush's father is also in law enforcement. Jeff Bush has worn a law enforcement badge for 23 years, but he has no tolerance for the conduct of his fellow officer.

"It was completely unacceptable behavior by both motorists that day," said Jeff Bush. "In law enforcement we have a higher standard set upon us both in our professional and in our personal lives. To see that kind of behavior from an off-duty officer and the lack of care and compassion to leave the scene after causing an accident was really frustrating..." said Bush. "In my gut, I don't believe he was unaware he caused an accident."

Bush says Ross should have called 911 and should have stopped and rendered aid to Bush's daughter.

"It just might be time for him (Ross) to pursue another career," suggested Bush.

Officer Ross' employment record was recently highlighted in a CBS Colorado investigation of "second chance cops" who move from agency to agency after blemishes on their work records.

"I understand," said Bush, "that the smaller agencies have a hard time finding quality candidates but there's got to be a line somewhere with the hiring standards, even in the smaller agencies."

Keenesburg Police Chief James Jensen said he was aware of the crash and criminal charges against Ross when he hired him in 2025. But Jensen defended the hiring, saying Ross is a good officer and is a good fit in the Keenesburg community.

Ross is due in Larimer County Court next week to face charges stemming from the I-25 case. There are indications that a plea deal may be in the works. Jeff Bush says while it's difficult to speak out against a fellow officer, he is adamantly opposed to a plea deal for Ross.

"He needs to face the music on this one," said Bush.