John Parr was driving through a near white-out when he skidded on an icy Wyoming highway, triggering a string of collisions that left Parr, his wife and daughter dead.
Conditions on Interstate 80 near Rawlins were so bad that shortly after a tractor trailer slammed into Parr’s Subaru on Saturday, another seven vehicles piled up 5 miles from the accident site, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Two people were injured in that crash.
The Wyoming Highway Patrol issued three citations in the chain-reaction collisions that killed Parr, 58, a prominent Denver political consultant, his wife, Sandra Widener, 53, and their daughter, Chase 19.
A second daughter, Katy, 17, was seriously injured in the crash and taken to Wyoming Medical Center in Casper. She is conscious and doing well, said Parr’s niece, Kathryn McAllister. Family members have told the teen about the deaths.
The family hasn’t determined whether she will return to Denver, McAllister said.
The Parr’s are well-known and respected in Denver. Hundreds mourned the deaths in a vigil at Cheesman Park on Sunday night after news of the tragedy became known.
“A lot of it hinges on Katy’s health. I expect it to be a memorial service. They fondly referred to their wedding in 1986 as a “Happening” so the service will likely be of similar spirit,” she said in an email.
Motorists Angela Seeley, Robert Maxwell and William Bowers received tickets for driving too fast for the road conditions on Saturday. None could be reached for comment.
Parr was ploughing through blowing snow that sharply reduced visibility and created ground-blizzard conditions, according to the patrol.
His loss of control triggered the chain of crashes that led to his death, said Patrol Sgt. Stephen Townsend.
“He is the first to lose control, and everybody was unable to avoid him or other vehicles. We constantly remind people when they encounter those kinds of driving conditions to drive within their limits, reduce their speed and increase following distance. If need be, get completely off the highway and into the nearest town,” Townsend said today.
Parr’s 1997 Subaru slid sideways on westbound I-80 at 9:50 a.m. Saturday.
Seeley, of Colorado Springs, who was following in a 2003 Acura, swerved but clipped the front end of Parr’s car. She then ran into the back of a snow plow.
Maxwell, of Douglas, Wyo., who was at the wheel of a Chevy pickup truck, swerved and missed Parr but ran into Seeley’s car.
Bowers, of Bremerton, Wash, who was driving a United Van Lines tractor trailer, then struck Parr’s car on the driver’s side.
After the crash, I-80 in both directions was closed between Rawlins and Laramie and reopened around 2:30 p.m.
The accident is still under investigation.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
757 812 1149
