Anyone who lives in Colorado for any length of time knows that driving through the state’s mountains during winter can be treacherous. Drivers need to take extra care since many of the roads can easily get slick and lead to fatal motor vehicle accidents. Even the smallest mistake behind the wheel could be deadly.
Winter weather may have contributed to a recent crash near Inspiration Point. A road and bridge worker spotted a vehicle some 400 yards off the roadway down the cliff. At the point where the vehicle was seen, the drop off the side of the road is anywhere between a 70 and 80 degree slope.
As troopers with the Colorado State Patrol began their investigation, they found the driver of the vehicle approximately 300 feet from the vehicle. The 37-year-old man did not survive his injuries. When troopers reached the vehicle, they discovered the 26-year-old passenger still buckled into her seat belt. Officials also declared her dead at the scene. The theory is that the vehicle went off the cliff sometime on the Thursday night before the discovery of the wreckage on Friday.
Sudden deaths in fatal motor vehicle accidents often put a great deal of financial strain on surviving family members. Few people are prepared for such an event, and it can cost a significant amount of money. Families who lose loved ones in this manner probably do not think much about this in the immediate aftermath, but at some point, the monetary impact of the incident will take its toll. For this reason, surviving family members may be able to file wrongful death claims against the individuals, or the estates of the individuals, believed responsible for the crash.