A 33-year-old man from Greeley, identified as Jose Sambrano, was declared clinically brain dead on Thursday and subsequently removed from life support following severe injuries sustained while evading arrest.
Sambrano’s family made the difficult decision after doctors provided a grim prognosis. He had been in the intensive care unit since the previous Sunday, following a crash where he ran a red light in a stolen truck and hit another vehicle.
According to a Greeley Police Department press release, Sambrano had been fleeing from an officer who recognized the stolen truck and attempted to stop him. The truck, a red 1998 Dodge 1500, had been reported stolen earlier that evening. The owner of the truck was dragged and seriously injured as Sambrano drove away with the vehicle.
Later, Sambrano sped into the intersection of 8th Avenue and 20th Street, colliding with a Cadillac SUV carrying a man, woman, and child. All three were injured and transported to the hospital but are expected to make a full recovery.
Authorities later connected Sambrano to a burglary that occurred just before the attempted traffic stop. The burglary had not been reported at the time, and the homeowner, who was present during the incident, was unharmed.
Online criminal records reveal that Sambrano had 25 traffic, misdemeanor, and felony cases since 2009. He was previously convicted as a habitual traffic offender and had served time in the Colorado Department of Corrections for felony trespass. Additionally, Sambrano was arrested 10 days before the fatal accident on a theft charge.