A married couple in Colorado is facing murder charges after prosecutors say they chased a pickup truck through a Denver neighborhood and fatally shot a 23-year-old passenger. Meanwhile, a 911 dispatcher repeatedly told them to stop following the vehicle. The First Judicial District Attorney’s Office charged 25-year-old Steven Cole Simpson and his wife, 26-year-old Corryn Simpson, in connection with the death of Andrew Luke Bott, as reported by Local 12.
Around 10:30 p.m. on July 25, the Simpsons’ white BMW X5 and a Ford F-150 with Bott inside collided on southbound Santa Fe Drive near Arapahoe Community College. When the pickup left the scene, prosecutors say Steven Simpson, who was driving, pursued it while Corryn Simpson called 911 to report the crash.
Dispatchers repeatedly told the couple to stop chasing the truck, but prosecutors say they continued. The BMW allegedly traveled west on Bowles Avenue and into the Grant Ranch neighborhood, with Corryn Simpson reading the pickup’s license plate number to dispatchers as they followed. During the call, investigators say Steven Simpson was heard making a threatening statement. Moments later, investigators say two gunshots could be heard.
The pickup driver called 911 minutes later to report that his passenger had been shot. Bott was taken to a hospital, where he died the next day from a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators said they identified the Simpsons through the couple’s 911 call, Flock license plate reader data, surveillance footage showing both vehicles entering and leaving the neighborhood within seconds of each other, and evidence recovered during a search of their home and vehicle. Authorities said the search uncovered handguns and ammunition matching casings recovered from the shooting scene.
What the Simpsons Have Been Charged With
Steven Simpson has been charged with first-degree murder after deliberation, a Class 1 felony, and attempted first-degree murder after deliberation, a Class 2 felony, in connection with the shooting of Bott. Corryn Simpson has been charged with first-degree murder as an accessory, a Class 4 felony, based on allegations connected to what she told authorities afterward.
According to the arrest affidavit, the Simpsons initially told authorities they had broken off the pursuit and gone straight home after the dispatcher’s warning. Investigators say physical and digital evidence contradicted that account.
In Colorado, a first-degree murder conviction carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. The charges remain allegations, and prosecutors will have to prove them in court beyond a reasonable doubt.
Why Colorado Has No Specific “Road Rage” Charge
Colorado has no standalone criminal charge specifically called “road rage.” That’s why the Simpsons face murder and accessory counts rather than a charge carrying that label. While prosecutors may describe the circumstances as involving aggressive driving or a vehicle pursuit, “road rage” itself is not what the couple has been charged with.
There’s a lesson to be learned here as well about not giving chase. Pursuing another vehicle after a crash can quickly escalate an already dangerous situation. In this case, prosecutors say dispatchers repeatedly told the Simpsons to stop following the pickup, and those warnings were captured on the same 911 call investigators later used as evidence.
If you’re involved in a crash and the other driver leaves, the safer course is to provide law enforcement with as much information as possible and allow officers to handle the situation. Prosecutors allege this case escalated far beyond a traffic incident after the pursuit continued despite repeated warnings from dispatchers.