Two Colorado police officers charged for leaving handcuffed woman in car struck by train

• Yareni Rios-Gonzalez was suspected of pointing a weapon at another motorist near Platteville.
• She was detained, arrested, and thrown in the back of a patrol vehicle.
• SUV was struck by a Union Pacific freight train as seen on police surveillance tape.

On Monday, two Colorado police officers were charged with abandoning a detained woman in a patrol car parked on railroad lines, where it was struck by a freight train, causing the woman to sustain significant injuries.

The lady was charged with felony menacing following an alleged road rage incident that led to her detention during a traffic check, according to a statement from the Weld County District Attorney’s Office.

On the night of 16 September, Yareni Rios-Gonzalez, 20, was suspected of pointing a weapon at another motorist near Platteville, some 40 miles north of Denver, according to police.

Rios-Gonzalez was detained, arrested, and thrown in the back of a patrol vehicle that was positioned across the train lines, according to authorities.

The SUV was struck by a Union Pacific freight train, whose horn was blasting, as seen on police surveillance tape.

Rios-Gonzalez sustained nine fractured ribs, a broken arm and leg, shattered teeth, and further injuries, according to her attorney, Paul Wilkinson. He said that she has left the hospital and is recuperating at home.

According to prosecutors, the most serious charges have been filed against Fort Lupton police officer Jordan Steinke, who faces one count of attempted manslaughter and one count of second-degree assault, both felonies.

According to authorities, Platteville police Sergeant Pablo Vazquez is charged with five counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment and traffic violations.

The Platteville police spokesman stated that he was unable to comment on the matter, and the Fort Lupton police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wilkinson stated that he was informed last week that Rios-Gonzalez will be charged, which he described as disheartening. He stated that he would bring a federal lawsuit against the police for his client’s injuries and civil rights violations.

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