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Career criminal captured in only his underwear after 100mph chase sentenced to five years in jail
Zakary Dean Hirschfield, 24, has been sentenced to five years in prison after fleeing a traffic stop in Colorado and leading police on a chase that reached 100 mph. The pursuit put a deputy, his passenger and other road users at risk; police later found cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his SUV.
The chase lasted more than an hour and crossed Douglas County, with Hirschfield driving into oncoming traffic and over a median, according to the sheriff’s office. Police, a K9 team and drones tracked him to a hiding place under a porch, where he was found wearing only underwear. Hirschfield had been on probation for a drug distribution offence and had faced other arrests; his probation had previously been revoked and reinstated.
In short
- Colorado man jailed for five years after a high-speed police chase.
- The pursuit lasted over an hour and reached 100 mph.
- Police found him hiding under a porch and recovered cocaine from his car.
Explained simply
A police chase is an attempt to stop a driver who has not pulled over when asked. In Colorado, local sheriff’s offices and police departments can pursue drivers across county roads, while courts decide criminal charges and any breach of probation.
Probation allows someone convicted of an offence to remain in the community under conditions set by a court, rather than serving a prison term immediately. Breaking those conditions can lead to probation being revoked and a person being sent to prison; the outcome depends on the court’s decisions and the offences involved.