The Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) arrested a woman after she allegedly attempted to breach a closed race route during the Pikes Peek race on April 27, 2025, driving toward a crowd of runners and leading officers on a pursuit before being arrested and charged with first-degree assault and disorderly conduct.
According to MCPD, “At approximately 7:45 a.m., Montgomery County 1st District officers responded to the intersection of Sommerville Drive and Redland Road after receiving a report of a Jeep Wrangler driving toward a crowd of runners assembled between Metro Access Road and Crabbs Branch Road.
The driver, Karen Christine Gangloff, of Derwood, attempted to drive through the closed intersection of Redland Road and Frederick Road. An officer directed Gangloff to turn right onto southbound Frederick Road, but instead, she drove through traffic cones and into the parking lot of a nearby 7-Eleven. As the officer returned to his cruiser, Gangloff left the gas station parking lot and continued northbound on Frederick Road at a high rate of speed.
An officer positioned himself in front of the Jeep and signaled for Gangloff to stop. When Gangloff kept driving, the officer moved out of the way for his safety. Gangloff then turned right onto Metro Access Road, which was also closed, and subsequently turned left onto Redland Road, heading toward the runners.
Officers pursued Gangloff on Redland Road, where one officer, in an attempt to get her to stop, strategically positioned his cruiser in front of Gangloff’s Jeep and braked, causing Gangloff to rear-end the cruiser. Gangloff refused to get out of the vehicle, leading officers to break the driver’s side window to remove her from the jeep.
A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered a magazine containing five 9mm rounds. No firearm was recovered at the scene. Gangloff was taken into custody and transported to the Montgomery County Central Processing Unit. She is charged with first-degree assault and disorderly conduct and is currently being held without bond. No officers or bystanders were injured during this incident.”
A mugshot was not provided by police.