Alcohol and excessive speed are suspected in a deadly crash late Thursday which killed the passenger in a Ford Explorer being driven by a 22-year-old Rifle resident.
The dead passenger was identified by the Colorado State Patrol as Diana Luttrall of Grand Junction.
The driver was identified as Stephen Ludwig of Rifle.
According to investigators, the accident occurred about 11:30 p.m. just west of Parachute on Interstate 70.
State Patrol Captain Rich Duran said that a felony case is being prepared by the patrol against Ludwig and will be presented to the district attorney for the filing of charges.
Duran said that Ludwig will be taken into custody and jailed when he is released from the hospital.
“He has not been charged yet,” said Duran. “Charges are pending.”
The patrol said the 2001 Explorer driven by Ludwig was westbound on the interstate when it ran off the left side of the road and into the median. It returned to the westbound lanes and rotated counter-clockwise, ran off the road again and rolled one and a half times.
Luttrall was ejected from the Explorer and died at the scene.
Ludwig was injured but survived, said the patrol.
The patrol said the investigation is ongoing but alcohol and excessive speed are contributing factors in the crash.Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
