At least three people were killed Friday when an eastbound train slammed into a sport utility vehicle at a crossing just east of Rocky Ford, authorities say.
The driver and two passengers in a blue Dodge Durango were killed in the 4:49 p.m. accident on Otero County Road 20.5 about a quarter mile east of Rocky Ford, said Trooper Gilbert Mares of the Colorado State Patrol.
Killed were driver Devonna B. Griffin, 17; front seat passenger Krystal Griffin, 19, both sisters, and their grandmother, Joan Griffin, 66.
The SUV was going north on the county road near Highway 50 when the train smashed into the vehicle, which rolled counter-clockwise, Mares said.
The Durango went off the east side of the road and came to rest on its right side facing southwest, he said.
The locomotive continued for another quarter of a mile before the engineer brought it to a controlled stop, Mares said.
Emergency workers were removing the victims from the SUV with special extrication equipment, he said.
The accident is under investigation, Mares said.
He said he does not know whether the crossing is marked or has cross bars.
“Whether it’s marked or unmarked, the motorist must always yield,” Mares said.
People should always assume that railroad tracks intersecting with roadways are actively used, he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
