Thanksgiving Day crash kills Clarence native and daughter in Colorado

A Clarence native and his daughter were killed in a fatal Thanksgiving Day crash in Fort Collins, Colorado according to the Fort Collins Police Department.

55-year-old John "Rick" Nees, who grew up in Clarence and most recently lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and his daughter 38-year-old Nicole Nees, of Fort Collins, were killed in a crash that involved a stolen vehicle that was used to commit a crime earlier in the day according to the Larimer County Coroner.

Police say just before 10 a.m. on Nov. 22nd they responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle, the caller stated they saw firearms inside.

When officers arrived and made contact with the sole occupant of the suspicious vehicle he fled the area, police did not pursue the vehicle in the interest of public safety and per department policy. 

Shortly after, there was a multi-vehicle collision involving the vehicle that fled the area at the intersection of E. Harmony Road and Boardwalk Drive.

The Nees' were killed in the collision and the suspect, 19-year-old Marcos Orozco was taken into custody.

Members of the Fort Collins Police Services CRASH (Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling) Team responded to investigate the collision.

Police say their investigation concluded that the fleeing vehicle that caused the accident was the same vehicle which rammed a pawn shop to gain entry and steal firearms around 3:30 a.m. Nov. 22nd. 

Orozco allegedly stole the vehicle from a business in Weld County Colorado, he faces the following charges:

Second degree burglary (class 3 felony)

Vehicular eluding (class 4 felony)

Aggravated motor vehicle theft (class 5 felony)

Violation of bail bond conditions (class 6 felony)

According to Police the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.

Video statement regarding the collision at Harmony and Boardwalk this morning. pic.twitter.com/iZ7N8QVud0

— Fort Collins Police (@FCPolice) November 22, 2018

Nees' Facebook page said he attended Clarence High School and worked at Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa

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