Fort Collins – Three young men died late Saturday when their Ford Mustang missed a curve and smashed against a row of trees on a winding rural road north of Fort Collins.
State police who responded to the incident on Larimer County Road 23 just outside Bellvue shortly before midnight described the accident as “horrific.” The car was “decimated” by the impact, and its occupants were all ejected, they said. All three were dead at the scene.
They were identified Sunday as Fort Collins residents Christopher Ragan, 19; Derek Jones, 20; and Jacob Ricke, 20.
Ricke moved with his family to Fort Collins from Wichita, Kan., about five years ago, his father, Gregory Ricke, said Sunday night. He was a graduate of Poudre High School and planned to start at Front Range Community College in January with an eye toward a career in forestry.
“He liked the outdoors,” the father said. “He was an avid basketball player.”
The younger Ricke had a lot of friends, and they all seemed like “good kids,” said Gregory Ricke, whose voice broke with emotion. He said the entire family was taking his son’s death hard.
Friends and family who gathered at Christopher Ragan’s home Sunday said he had a passion for art and music and hoped to attend art school.
“He absolutely loved life,” said Patti Jo, a friend who answered the door at Ragan’s home but declined to give her last name. “He lived like his favorite song, ‘Simple Man,’ by Lynyrd Skynyrd.”
Ragan also was attentive to his sister, Catharin, who is 14, Patti Jo said. She said the family was devastated.
Family of Derek Jones could not be reached Sunday.
Colorado State Patrol investigators said the 1993 car was speeding “well in excess” of 100 mph when it went out of control in a right-hand curve on northbound Larimer County Road 23 and crashed.
Parts of the vehicle were scattered over a wide area, and it could take several days to determine who was driving and whether anyone was wearing a seat belt, the patrol said.
“It looked like the car had been blown apart,” said Tania Milewski, who lives nearby. She went outside Saturday night after she saw rescue vehicles arrive.
She said the accident occurred on a stretch of 23 called the “super,” where the road drops from the top of Horsetooth Dam and makes a snaking right-hand turn. “Unfortunately, some kids use this road as a racetrack,” she said.
State police said Sunday that alcohol and/or drugs are suspected to be contributing factors. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are awaiting toxicology test results from the Larimer County coroner.
Staff writer Jim Kirksey contributed to this report. Staff writer Amy Brouillette can be reached at 303-820-1201 or at abrouillette@denverpost.com.
