A 53-year-old man was killed and six other people were injured in a three-vehicle crash last night on U.S. 85 triggered when a driver swerved to avoid a potted plant in the road.
Vicente R. Salas of Fountain was pronounced dead at Littleton Hospital after the 5:15 p.m. accident about 3 miles north of Castle Rock, said Gilbert Mares, spokesman for the Colorado State Patrol.
Martha Salas, 54, who was in a 2004 Chevrolet pickup driven by Vincente Salas, was taken to the same hospital with serious injuries. Another passenger in the vehicle was Xavier Rodriguez, 6, of Fountain, who received minor injuries, Mares said.
Kevin A. Wesselink, 16, and Garry Wesselink, 48, both of Castle Rock, who were in a gold 1996 Mercedes, were in serious condition at Skyridge Hospital. Michael A. Sangaline, 16, of Castle Rock, who was in the same car, was taken to the same hospital with minor injuries.
Kevin Wesselink was driving north on Colorado 85 as a gold 2004 Chevrolet pickup and a blue 2004 Chrysler Pacifica were approaching from the south.
Wesselink swerved off the right side of the road to avoid hitting a potted plant that had fallen onto his lane. He drove back onto the road but lost control. His car slammed into the left front corner of the pickup, causing it to spin into the center of the road.
The truck also spun and went off the west side of the road, down an embankment and rolled, throwing the Salases and Rodriguez, who were not wearing seat belts, out of the truck, Mares said.
The Pacifica, driven by Geoffrey S. Combs, 41, of Agate, slammed into the rear of the Mercedes, pushing it back into the northbound lane, he said. Combs was taken to Skyridge Hospital with minor injuries.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
