AKRON, Colo.—Investigators suspect alcohol or drugs might have been a factor in a head-on traffic accident that killed three people, including a toddler, near here.
The State Patrol was also investigating crashes on opposite ends of the state that killed three more people over the weekend.
Troopers were waiting for the results of toxicology tests on the driver of a westbound pickup truck that swerved into the eastbound lanes of U.S. 34 near Akron in eastern Colorado Sunday evening and collided with a sedan carrying a man and a 3-year-old boy.
The pickup driver was identified as Bryant Hays, 26, of Sussex, Wis. He was alone.
The driver of the sedan, Jon Stravers, 33, of Boise, Idaho, and Jonah Stravers, also died.
In a separate accident, Frank Finley, 27, of Fort Morgan was thrown from his vehicle when it went off a county road six miles east of Fort Morgan. Troopers said the car was traveling at a high rate of speed when it veered off the road and rolled several times.
Troopers weren’t sure when the single-car accident occurred. Finley’s car was found around 8 a.m. Monday in a corn field and his body was found 75 feet from the vehicle. Finley was alone.
Near Collbran in western Colorado, two men died in a single-car crash that likely occurred at about 1 a.m. Monday. Their car was found on the right side of Colorado 330.
Troopers said the car ran off the right side of the road, collided with several rocks, vaulted up, ran into several trees and then rolled down a steep embankment.
The men’s names weren’t released. The State Patrol was investigating whether excessive speed caused the accident.
