Damien Noyes was always close to his younger sister, Angel.
“Damien looked after his little sister,” said Diane Lauer, former principal of Conrad Ball Middle School in Loveland, where Damien, 14, and Angel, 13, were students.
On Friday night they went together to the Pepsi Center, where the Denver Nuggets defeated the world champion San Antonio Spurs.
But an evening of fun turned to tragedy when the homeward-bound car they were riding in was rear-ended by another vehicle just after midnight. Both siblings were killed.
Police say alcohol was involved.
“Alcohol was a factor,” said Northglenn police spokesman Steve Sanders. “Obviously there is more to this than we can tell.”
Sanders said police are awaiting the results of toxicology tests on both drivers involved in the crash to determine whether they had been drinking.
The youngsters were fatally injured when a sport utility vehicle slammed into the back of the Ford Escort they were riding in at 12:11 a.m. on northbound Interstate 25 near 104th Avenue, he said.
Glenn Ryburn of Northglenn, who drove a Chevrolet Blazer into the back of the Escort, was in critical condition Saturday at Denver Health Medical Center.
Phillip Chavez, the driver of the Escort, suffered minor injuries. Reyna Padilla-Chavez, a passenger in the car, was treated for injuries and released.
A report by a witness suggested the crash was a road-rage incident, but that appears to be inaccurate, Sanders said. The collision was unintentional, he said.
Sanders said he is hoping that other witnesses will call police about what they saw.
Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call Officer Kurt Barnes at 303-450-8893.
Police have not been able to speak with Ryburn, the driver of the Blazer, because of the nature of his injuries.
When police arrived at the scene, both vehicles were pulled over to the emergency lane on the right side of the highway.
The teens were trapped in the back seat of the Escort, according to a news release. Officers checked for signs of life but didn’t find any.
Wes Fothergill, spokesman for the Thompson School District, said Damien was in eighth grade and Angel was in seventh grade at Conrad Ball Middle School.
“Damien has an incredibly sharp wit. He was very wise for his age,” said Lauer, their former principal. “Angel liked to have fun and had a great group of girlfriends. She laughed a lot and liked to gossip with her friends.”
The family of the two victims called the current principal of Conrad Ball, who opened the school for staff and students to talk or to make calls. School officials brought food to the family of the two students, Fothergill said.
The district crisis team, including counselors from throughout the district, will be at Conrad Ball on Monday to help staff and students. The school has 672 students.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
