Cops: Drugged man crashed in Wolcott after chase

Drunken, drugged man was driving more than 100 miles per hour before he crashedBy Steve Lynnslynn@vaildaily.comEAGLE – A drunken man who had also taken cocaine led police on a high-speed chase and rolled his girlfriend’s car 40 feet down an embankment Thursday night, said Sgt. Greg Daly of the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office. Adrian Medina, 27, of Gypsum, was pulled over in Eagle after his girlfriend reported that Medina stole her car. Medina drove away as Deputy Brad Rosenbauer was walking up to his car about 5:30 p.m., Daly said. Rosenbauer followed Medina, who was driving more than 100 miles per hour toward Wolcott on U.S. Highway 6 in his girlfriend’s Acura Integra, Daly said. Rosenbauer slowed down hoping Medina would slow down due to a couple dangerous bends in the road, Daly said. Shortly after, Medina lost control of the Acura, went off the right side of the highway and rolled the car almost to the Eagle River, Daly said. Medina refused to come out of the car, so sheriff’s deputies broke a window to get him out, Daly said. Medina was arrested and an ambulance took him to Vail Valley Medical Center, where he was being treated Thursday night, Daly said. Daly did not know the extent of Medina’s injuries, he said.”We’re hoping he’s going to be released” from the hospital, Daly said. Medina and his girlfriend told authorities that Medina had been doing cocaine the “last couple days,” Daly said. Medina also had left four young children by themselves in his girlfriend’s Gypsum home, Daly said. One lane of Highway 6 about six miles west of Wolcott was closed for more than an hour after the chase, which went for four miles, authorities said. Medina’s charges include child abuse, first-degree aggravated motor vehicle theft, vehicular eluding, driving under the influence of alcohol, consumption of cocaine and reckless driving, Daly said. Staff Writer Steve Lynn can be reached at 748-2931 or slynn@vaildaily.com.