Two men died in a head-on collision Saturday on U.S. Highway 285 in the foothills southwest of Denver.
The double-fatal crash happened at about noon near Parmalee Gulch Road in Jefferson County, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The state patrol identified the dead men as Ronald C. Gist, 63, of Denver, and Stephen T. Cavanagh, 23, of Bailey.
Both drivers died at the scene and both were wearing seat belts.
The state patrol gave this account of the crash in a press release:
Gist was driving a 1991 Toyota Corolla north on highway 285 when it ran off the left side of the road, through a median and hit head-on a 1991 Nissan Stanza driven by Cavanagh.
The Toyota rotated counterclockwise after impact and came to rest on its wheels. The Nissan rolled one-half time and came to rest up against a rock wall.
Four unidentified passengers in Nissan had to be cut out of the Nissan. Details on their medical conditions were not available.
Alcohol may have been a factor in Gist losing control of his car.
The crash shut down the highway for more than three hours.
Staff writer Kieran Nicholson can be reached at 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com.
