8 people died on Colorado’s roads this holiday weekend
The Colorado State Patrol is investigating seven fatal traffic accidents that killed eight people around the state on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The crashes included a head-on collision, single-car rollovers and other losses of control. In Adams and El Paso counties, drivers who stepped out of their vehicles on the side of the road were struck by passing cars.
Also over the weekend, a Colorado State Patrol vehicle was hit from behind while stopped on Interstate 70 near the scene of an earlier crash between Rifle and Glenwood Springs. Neither the trooper nor the driver of the other vehicle reported injuries.
The state patrol says winter conditions, heavy holiday traffic and unsafe driving contributed to the crashes. They remind drivers to slow down, keep more distance between vehicles and use extra caution.
Information on fatal crashes as provided by the Colorado State Patrol:
On Highway 86, milepost 25, in Elbert County, a Ford Explorer was traveling westbound and attempted to pass a Peterbuilt semi-truck. While driving in the eastbound lane to overtake the semi-truck, a Freightliner semi-truck was coming eastbound. The Ford Explorer collided head on with the Freightliner, pushing the Freightliner into the left rear side of the Peterbuilt. No vehicles left the roadway. The female driver of the Ford Explorer died at the scene and the Freightliner driver self transported to an area medical center with complaints of injury.
Park County: A single-vehicle crash occurred in Park County on Highway 9 at 4:51 p.m. A 2005 Kia Sorento was traveling southbound on Highway 9 when it began rotating clockwise and went off the right side of the road. The Kia continued southbound off road and rolled multiple times. The driver was wearing a seatbelt and stayed in the vehicle. The driver was extricated and transported to St. Anthony Summit Hospital in Frisco, where she succumbed to her injuries.
A single-vehicle crash occurred in Park County on Highway 9 at 4:51 p.m. A 2005 Kia Sorento was traveling southbound on Highway 9 when it began rotating clockwise and went off the right side of the road. The Kia continued southbound off road and rolled multiple times. The driver was wearing a seatbelt and stayed in the vehicle. The driver was extricated and transported to St. Anthony Summit Hospital in Frisco, where she succumbed to her injuries.
