A 33-year-old Douglas County Sheriff's deputy was arrested after he allegedly caused a New Year's Day crash on Interstate 25. According to a spokeswoman for the Castle Rock Police Department, the off-duty officer was issued a summons for investigation of drunken driving, careless driving and DUI following the car crash.

The police report says the deputy was driving north on I-25 near Founder's Parkway about 11:30 a.m. on January 1, 2012, when he stopped his personal vehicle in the middle lane of the interstate.

Two vehicles promptly collided with the deputy's SUV, the police report says. Three additional vehicles managed to stop behind the car accident. A fourth vehicle then hit them when the driver was unable to stop quickly enough to avoid the collision. In total, four people had minor injuries following the wrecks.

When police officers approached the deputy's vehicle after the crash, he allegedly was asleep with his seat reclined. He allegedly told the officers he was "waiting" when they asked him why he stopped in the center lane.

The man failed a field sobriety test, according to police reports. A breath test administered later showed he had a blood alcohol level of 0.159, nearly twice Colorado's legal limit of 0.08.

The deputy initially said he had not been drinking, according to the police report. Later, he confessed he had been drinking at a friend's house at roughly 3:00 a.m. He said he thought he had consumed five beers, according to Castle Rock police.

The Douglas County Sheriff's Office fired the deputy on January 4, 2012, following an internal investigation. He reportedly has been with the sheriff's office since 2008.

Fortunately, this multi-vehicle crash didn't end up with fatalities. Nevertheless, those victims injured in the crash may be able to pursue compensation for any medical bills they incurred, in addition to any wages they may have lost.

Source: ABC 7 News, "Deputy Arrested In DUI Crash On I-25 Is Fired," Deb Stanley, Jan. 4, 2012.