Wild Chase Ends In Underwear

Police car with flashing lights behind caution tape. — Photo: Shutterstock

A Colorado man sped away from a traffic stop at more than 100 miles an hour, then ended his run hiding under a stranger’s porch in his underwear.

Quick Take

Zakary Dean Hirschfield, 24, of Centennial, pleaded guilty to felony eluding a peace officer.
A judge sentenced him to five years in the Colorado Department of Corrections.
The chase reached speeds over 100 mph and crossed Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton.
Deputies found Hirschfield hiding under a porch wearing only his underwear.

Routine Stop Turns Into High-Speed Pursuit

The case started in January 2026 with a simple speeding stop in Castle Pines, Colorado. A Douglas County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled Hirschfield over. Instead of stopping, he accelerated his car toward the deputy, then sped off. What began as a routine traffic check quickly turned into a dangerous chase through three communities.

Deputies pursued Hirschfield as his car topped 100 mph through residential streets and busy roadways. The chase tore through Castle Pines, Highlands Ranch, and Littleton before deputies lost sight of his vehicle. A search for Hirschfield followed, turning a single traffic stop into a multi-agency manhunt across suburban Denver.

Found Hiding Under A Porch In His Underwear

Deputies eventually tracked Hirschfield to a residential property, where they found him hiding underneath a porch. He had stripped down to only his underwear, apparently trying to avoid detection. Officers took him into custody at the scene, ending a pursuit that had put drivers, bystanders, and deputies at risk.

Court records describe Hirschfield as a repeat offender, meaning this was not his first run-in with law enforcement. The 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which covers Douglas and Elbert counties, said the episode never should have happened given his history with the justice system.

Guilty Plea Leads To Five-Year Prison Term

Hirschfield pleaded guilty to felony eluding of a peace officer, a serious charge under Colorado law. On November 2, 2026, a judge sentenced him to five years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, according to the 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office. The sentence closes out a case built on a guilty plea, not a trial verdict.

District Attorney George Brauchler spoke publicly about the sentencing, framing Hirschfield as a career criminal whose actions endangered the public. The five-year term reflects the seriousness prosecutors placed on a chase that exceeded triple the speed limit on many of the roads it crossed, through neighborhoods where families live, and children play.

Why High-Speed Chases Carry Real Risk For Everyone Nearby

Hirschfield’s case fits into a much bigger national problem. Researchers studying police pursuits nationwide found 4,415 pursuit-related deaths between 2017 and 2021, with the toll climbing each year. Other analyses using federal crash data counted over 6,300 deaths tied to pursuits from 2009 through 2023, showing how often these chases end in tragedy.

Experts also warn that no single agency tracks every pursuit in the country, so the real numbers may be even higher than reported. In Colorado alone, one metro-area department logged nearly 400 pursuits over five years, reminding us that chases like Hirschfield’s happen regularly across the state.

That broader pattern makes the outcome here worth noting. Nobody was killed, no bystander was struck, and the man responsible is now behind bars for five years. Given how often these pursuits turn deadly, this case ended about as well as a 100-mph chase through three towns possibly could have.

5 years in prison! DA Brauchler speaks about the sentencing of career criminal Zakary Dean Hirschfield#23rdjdaoffice #georgebrauchler #justice #douglascounty @dcsheriff pic.twitter.com/j0wz3VlBTF

— 23rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office (@23rdDA) November 2, 2026

The sentence stands as a clear consequence for a driver who chose to flee rather than stop, putting an entire community at risk. Colorado prosecutors made their position plain: repeat dangerous behavior behind the wheel carries real prison time, not just another citation.