Woman allegedly uses car as weapon

A Colorado Springs woman who saw her husband riding his Harley with another woman on the back went after the pair in a jealous rage Thursday night and tried to run them down, police said.

Police say Joyce Colangelo, 48, was driving drunk on South Academy Boulevard about 7:50 p.m. Thursday when she spotted the pair in the oncoming lanes.

Colangelo turned around, caught up with the 1974 Harley-Davidson and rammed it several times with her Pontiac Sunfire, police said.

Richard Roever, 48, and his passenger, 42-year-old Diedre Herrera, went down against a curb in the 1700 block of South Academy, about halfway between Fountain Boulevard and Chelton Road.

Witnesses said Colangelo drove over the downed motorcycle and then backed up in an apparent attempt run them over. That's when a good Samaritan intervened and placed his vehicle between her and the victims, forcing Colangelo to stop her advance, police said.

"She might have been successful if it wasn't for the Samaritan," Colorado Springs police spokesman Sgt. Darrin Abbink said.

Investigators believe the attack was motivated by jealousy, but they are still looking into the woman's claims that she is married to Roever, Abbink said.

Police spent the night of the attack trying to solve another mystery: finding the injured man.

Roever, who appeared to be seriously injured, jumped into another good Samaritan's car and was dropped off near Memorial Hospital at Union Boulevard and Boulder Street.

He didn't check into the hospital and went missing until police received word Friday morning that he had gone to a Pueblo hospital, Abbink said.

Detectives went to Pueblo to interview him about the incident.

"Apparently, there's a warrant for his arrest for parole violation," Abbink said.

Roever's condition wasn't immediately available.

Herrera suffered only minor injuries and wasn't taken to the hospital, Abbink said.

He said she "hasn't been very cooperative with the investigation."

Police intend to pursue two counts of attempted murder against Colangelo, as well as driving under the influence, Abbink said.

She is being held without bond at the El Paso County jail.

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Contact the writer at 636-0366.

Gazette reporter Brian Newsome contributed to this story.