One person was airlifted yesterday afternoon from the scene of a multi-car wreck on Highway 9 south of Kremmling, as frequent travelers there call for more patience and safety patrols.
Colorado State Patrol reports eight people inside of three vehicles were involved, including two boys under the age of 15 years old.
A Pennsylvania woman suffered life-threatening injuries and was taken by helicopter to the hospital. Three other victims suffered serious injuries and were rushed by ambulance.
Early investigation suggests this collision began with high-speed passing on a two-lane highway known for frequent – and often deadly – wrecks.
A Mercedes was traveling south from Kremmling toward Heeney around 1 p.m., and passing multiple vehicles, when it sideswiped a Pathfinder traveling north. The Pathfinder crashed and flipped twice. The Mercedes continued and smashed head-on into a Ram ProMaster, also heading north.
All three people inside the Ram suffered serious injuries or worse, including the woman from Pennsylvania who was airlifted.
The driver of the Mercedes, a 28-year-old man from Orchard, Colorado, walked away with minor injuries. A 9-year-old boy also suffered minor injuries. A 15-year-old boy in his vehicle was seriously injured.
Despite rolling twice, the two people in the Pathfinder, both from Durango, escaped with no injuries.
For more than three-and-a-half hours Highway 9 was at least partially closed. It reopened around 3:40 p.m.
State patrol is investigating the crash and the driver of the Mercedes. Troopers have not yet determined a cause and declined to comment on drugs or alcohol.
‘Made me sick’
A closure post on the Krystal 93 Facebook page drew hundreds of followers and dozens of comments, many of them sharing horror stories from this same stretch of highway.
Others demanded more troopers and safety measures on this road, where at least six people have been killed and many more injured in just over a year.
Preview image by Krystal 93 listener Angie Boyer.