Two people died Friday in a motorcycle crash on Colorado 103 about 5 miles west of Evergreen. The 1999 Harley-Davidson ran off the right side of the road just after 4 p.m.
The motorcycle fell down a steep slope and crashed into two trees. The driver, James Thomas, 42, of Centennial struck a tree and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The passenger, Margaret Hawley, 55, of Denver was airlifted to Swedish Medical Center. She died about 8 p.m.
The Colorado State Patrol is awaiting toxicology reports to determine whether alcohol was a factor in the crash. The pair was traveling from Evergreen, according to police, but their destination was unknown.
The police report did not say whether the victims were wearing helmets.
MESA COUNTY
Rock slide kills one, closes east I-70 lanes
A rock slide Saturday night on Interstate 70 in Mesa County killed one person and forced the closure of the eastbound lanes.
The wreck about 9:15 p.m. on the east end of DeBeque Canyon at mile marker 55 involved a tractor-trailer, but it wasn’t clear late Saturday whether the driver or a passenger was killed, said Trooper Gilbert Mares of the Colorado State Patrol.
Eastbound traffic was being detoured to Colorado 65, said Nancy Shanks, public information officer for the Colorado Department of Transportation. She said it was possible it would take more than three hours or all night to clear the highway.
FRISCO
Autopsy confirms ex-legislator drowned
The autopsy of former state legislator Bryan Sullivant confirmed Friday that he fell overboard from his boat and drowned in the frigid waters of Dillon Reservoir last weekend.
Sullivant, 51, a three-term Republican representative and one-term senator, was drunk at the time that he apparently lost his footing on his dinghy and fell into the 49-degree water late on Sept. 9, according to the Summit County coroner.
Sullivant’s body was found Monday morning by searchers alerted to his absence by friends and marina workers who found the dinghy tied to his sailboat but capsized.
CHATFIELD STATE PARK
Dog owners warned about pond water
Signs have been posted at the Chatfield State Park dog training and exercise area warning dog owners about potential contamination of water that the dogs swim in.
The water is in settling ponds used by the Colorado Division of Wildlife’s fish planting operations. The water may contain bacteria that can make dogs sick, said Jim Smith, assistant park ranger.
The situation is not new, Smith said, but park officials decided to post the signs after a woman recently called and said her young dog had gotten sick.
The pond water has not been treated and is not safe to drink, Smith said. Many people let their dogs swim in the ponds in the popular 75-acre dog area.
MOFFAT COUNTY
Two killed in crash of single-engine plane
Two men were killed when the fixed-wing, single-engine plane they were in crashed just before 3 p.m. Friday in western Moffat County, officials said.
Wreckage from the crash was spread over a 2-mile area, according to the Moffat County Sheriff’s Office.
Oil field workers in Sweetwater County, Wyo., saw the crash and reported it. The county coroner has not yet been able to identify the two victims.
The plane was apparently equipped with a prototype parachute system. It is unknown if the pilot deployed the parachute or if it deployed upon impact.
High winds carried the part of the plane attached to the parachute into a remote area of Wyoming, and it has not yet been recovered.
