On September 17th, 2025, at about 7:35PM several Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to the Johnson Village area south of Buena Vista, CO for a report of a female party, later identified as Erin Elizabeth Wenger, age 37 from Longmont, CO, who was causing a disturbance at two different businesses in that area. A few hours earlier Wenger had also been reported driving erratically and throwing things out of her vehicle in Park County.
Deputies arrived in the area shortly thereafter and found Wenger in her vehicle driving on Highway 24. A traffic stop was attempted but Wenger fled in an apparent attempt to elude the deputies. Because of her extremely dangerous and erratic driving, putting the public in danger, the deputies pursued. During the short pursuit, Wenger rammed two Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicles, which appeared to be intentional. The patrol vehicles sustained significant damage, but no deputy was injured.
Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Justin Pikul executed a virtually flawless TVI (tactical vehicle intervention) maneuver, of which he has had extensive training in its execution, to end the danger to the public. The vehicle, driven by Wenger, lost traction and came to a stop. Wenger then accelerated and rammed another patrol vehicle, head on, before coming to a complete stop. Wenger was then taken into custody. Wenger was taken to the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center Emergency Room for treatment, but she reported no injuries…