Authorities report that a head-on collision involving two vehicles occurred near Durango around 10:25 a.m. on July 30. The accident left three people dead and two others seriously injured. The deceased victims included a 91-year-old woman and two 61-year-old men. The injured parties were taken to a nearby hospital for emergency medical treatment.
According to the Colorado State Patrol, the accident occurred when a 60-year-old man driving a sedan southbound on the highway crossed the centerline and collided head on with an SUV being driven by another 60-year-old man. The SUV driver was among those who sustained serious injuries. The other injured individual was a 33-year-old male passenger in the sedan. While police were still investigating the accident at the time of the report, they have charged the driver of the sedan with three counts of careless driving causing death and two counts of careless driving causing serious injury.
When a motor vehicle accident involves multiple fatalities and injuries that are allegedly caused by the actions of a single driver, the injured parties or deceased victims’ families may look to a personal injury attorney in order to seek compensation. This compensation may cover medical and rehabilitation bills for serious injuries such as brain, neck or back injuries. Other damages sought may include pain and suffering, lost income, funeral expenses and any other accident-related expenses.
In any case involving serious injuries and fatalities, it is necessary for an at-fault driver to be determined through a thorough accident investigation. A lawyer may be helpful in this investigation process. A driver may be found liable if it can be proven that he or she was behaving in a reckless or negligent manner during the accident. For example, the driver may have been attempting to text using a cellphone while driving.
Source: The Denver Post, “Driver of car in fatal crash near Durango cited in incident“, Kieran Nicholson, July 31, 2014