Plummer gives his version

Quarterback says his vehicle was hit, not vice versa

Jeff Legwold and Kevin Vaughan, Rocky Mountain News

Published May 25, 2006 at midnight

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ENGLEWOOD - Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer on Wednesday disputed claims that he lost his cool in a traffic accident last month.

Plummer - who said he wanted to tell "my side of the story" - said it was his car that was hit April 20 and that he neither backed into a pickup truck driven by Doug Stone, nor kicked the vehicle because he was angry.

"I was in a hurry - I was on the move to a function for my foundation to donate a large check to the Family Tree," Plummer said. "I was in a hurry driving down Hampden, heading west, and I merged in the far right and accidentally cut this person off. I admit that. And I was on my cell phone, and I'm embarrassed to admit that while I'm driving, and cut a guy off.

"I waved in my rearview mirror and even said 'sorry' while I was talking, and all I heard was incessant honking. And when I pulled up to the light, I felt a bump on my tailgate, which was very surprising. I stepped out of the car, and it looked like there was no damage. I called 911 to report the incident and like I said, I was late to get to my function and I proceeded to head that way."

That's not the story that Stone and an eyewitness told.

"He's covering his butt," Stone said Wednesday.

Stone, 47, of Denver, told police that Plummer - whom he did not recognize - cut him off.

Stone told police that he honked at the quarterback at a stoplight then watched as Plummer got out of his Honda Element and kicked his headlight.

Then, he said, Plummer got back in his vehicle and backed into Stone's 1992 Ford Ranger pickup, breaking its license plate frame, and drove off.

Police believed Stone, and last Friday an officer went to Plummer's Cherry Hills Village home to issue him a summons for damaging property. Plummer is expected to be in court sometime in June.

"We still have conflicting stories," Englewood police investigator John Hoehler said. "But we have an independent witness who reported that she saw the thing, and she's telling the same story the victim told us."

The trouble started about 4:25 p.m. April 20.

After the incident, Stone called 911 to report a "hit and run," according to recordings of the call released Wednesday by Englewood police.

A dispatcher asked him if anyone was hurt.

"No injuries," Stone replied, "but the other - the guy that hit me took off."

Stone then described Plummer's gray Honda Element and gave dispatchers his license plate number.

About 45 seconds after that call, Plummer dialed 911.

"Yeah," he said, "I'm calling - I was just at a stoplight, and I have the license plate of the guy that came up and bumped the back of my car."

Later, Plummer said, "He just barely bumped it, and it's the middle of rush hour, and I know there's no damage."

The dispatcher did not ask Plummer for his name or a description of his vehicle, and Hoehler said it is likely she did not make the connection to Stone's call.

"OK," she told Plummer, "I'll air the information."

"He just barely bumped me," Plummer repeated, "and I know there's no damage on it."

At that point the dispatcher cut him off, "Well, I'll air the information, OK?"

"OK," Plummer answered.

The quarterback was a featured guest at the Family Tree's Celebration of Achievement event that began at 6 p.m. that night in Golden.

Hoehler said that police investigated the incident as a crime rather than as a traffic accident.

"When someone allegedly puts a car in reverse and hits another car, that's no accident," Hoehler said.

According to Englewood police, Plummer's Honda had rear-end damage that was consistent with the damage done to Stone's truck. Stone told the Rocky Mountain News that at the intersection, Plummer "had jumped out of his car and kicked my truck and said, 'Stay off my a--.' "

Stone then said that Plummer put his vehicle in reverse and hit Stone's pickup. Stone said that Plummer then drove away.

Stone said he pulled off to the side of the road, where a witness who had copied down the license-plate number of Plummer's Honda stopped, too. Stone said he then called police to report the incident.

The witness, Marjorie Casse, told CBS 4 News that she was on her way to work when she saw the incident unfold and felt compelled to stop.

She backed Stone's version of events and said she was "shocked, appalled, scared" by what she saw. Casse said she wrote down the license plate number as the Honda drove away, but never guessed that the Broncos quarterback was behind the wheel.

Casse, a nurse, told News 4, "I just moved here a year ago, and I really didn't know who he was."

Plummer denied losing his temper.

"I wasn't angry one bit until he bumped into the back of my car," Plummer said. "I control myself when I drive. By no means did I go and do anything to incite the person."

Plummer said he got out of his car after feeling the "bump." He said he didn't notice damage at the time because the two cars were pressed together "bumper to bumper."

"There looked like there was no damage," Plummer said. "It wasn't like he smashed into me; it was more like, 'Hey, you cut me off.' I let 9-1-1 know and took off."

Plummer said he was surprised Friday when he was contacted by police since "it was a month after everything had transpired."

"It's not even a traffic accident; it's a minor incident," Plummer said. "It's embarrassing at times, but life goes on. I went out to camp (Wednesday) and threw the ball around. The investigation will go on from here, and we'll see what happens."

The quarterback, set to enter his 10th season, was repeatedly ribbed by his teammates Wednesday during a passing camp workout at the Broncos' Dove Valley complex.

Last season, Plummer made a public apology for a profanity-laced call to Rocky Mountain News columnist Penny Parker to complain about an item in a column, calling the call "a mistake" and "something I should not have done."

During the 2004 season, the NFL fined him $5,000 for making an obscene gesture at a heckling fan - it was caught on live television during the game's broadcast.

Plummer apologized several times after the game and said "it would never happen again."

Also in 2004, he battled the league over the sticker on his helmet to honor his friend and former teammate at Arizona State, Pat Tillman. Tillman, with the Army Rangers, was killed while fighting in Afghanistan.

"When football season comes, I don't think anybody's going to be saying, 'Oh, yeah, remember that road-rage thing?' " Plummer said. "They're not going to care. It's a matter of how we play ball and go on.

"Image tarnished, whatever, role model, blah, blah, blah, I'm here to play football and win games. Whatever happens I've got to deal with. If (fans) turn on me, it doesn't mean I don't go out there and play as hard as I can. I've always done that; I always will."

Stone said he doesn't want money.

"I hope it dies real quick and Jake has a good year playing football," he said. "I wish it would die down, but he needs to face up to what he's told the police."

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