Jody Chavez Obituary, Death;- A driver suspected of DUI, who is accused of causing the death of a young mother in a collision on I-70 in Colorado, is scheduled to appear in court this week.
Footage captured the moment the suspected DUI driver entered I-70 in the wrong direction. Almost immediately, the driver was seen swerving to avoid oncoming vehicles. Despite nearly colliding with the first car in sight, the driver continued down the highway. Surveillance from the Apple Inn along the I-70 Frontage Road recorded eight vehicles narrowly avoiding the wrong-way driver before he disappeared from view.
According to Wheat Ridge police spokesperson Alex Rose, the vehicle collided with oncoming traffic before reaching the next exit at Ward Road, resulting in the death of a young mother identified as Jody Chavez.
“Our initial investigation suggests that this was a near head-on collision, specifically a driver-side-to-driver-side impact. As you can imagine, the force involved is substantial when two vehicles collide head-on,” Rose stated.
Jian Chen, 34, was arrested at the scene. Investigators believe he entered the interstate via the Kipling exit ramp, which is marked with wrong-way signs, and proceeded westbound in the eastbound lanes of I-70. Arrest documents indicate that Chen told first responders he believed he was in Oklahoma, where his driver’s license was issued. Both firefighters and police noted the odor of alcohol on his breath.
“In Wheat Ridge in 2024, we are seeing a troubling 62% increase in DUI-related crashes and calls for such incidents in our area. While we can manage enforcement after the fact, we cannot control individuals’ choices before they get behind the wheel,” Rose remarked.
Chen is set to return to court to face charges that include vehicular homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol, operating a vehicle on the wrong side of a divided highway, and failing to provide proof of insurance.
