Drunk driver takes joy ride on school track

On Sunday morning, January 10, the Kremmling Police Department (KPD) was contacted by West Grand Superintendent of Schools Dr. Darrin Peppard, who reported an act of vandalism in which “someone had driven through the fence and driven around the football and track field” at the high school.

Officer Bryson Hicks advised KPD Chief Hiram Rivera that he had arrested Cory Wilson of Hot Sulphur Springs the night before for driving under the influence of alcohol and had suspected a possible hit and run, given recent damage to the suspect’s Jeep Cherokee.

Hicks responded to the West Grand High School and observed the chain link fence on the east end of the main parking lot to have been ripped off the poles and dragged toward the athletic field. Tire tracks preserved in the snow passed onto and off of the field, going several times around the track and, at one point, seeming to have passed through a snowbank before launching off a slight incline and losing contact with the ground for about 9 feet.

Plastic and other debris was found at the site and Officer Hicks was able to fit some of it to Wilson’s towed vehicle. He also noted that the tires appeared to match the tracks left on the field.
Upon notification, the office of the 14th Judicial District Attorney determined to amend Wilson’s charges to include reckless driving, failure to report the accident, and failure to report damage to the property owner.

The incident was also reported at Tuesday’s regular meeting of the West Grand School Board. Peppard indicated that the District was already taking action to replace the portion of ruined fence. However he added that it may be some time before they could accurately assess any damage to the track itself.

“Both Coach [Chris] Brown and [Maintenance Director] Wes Howell have been out there, and they’re hopeful that there’s no damage to the track,” noted Peppard. “But there is a pretty good snowpack on the field, and we won’t know until the snow’s gone.”