Five of nine young people were thrown from a pickup Saturday on a mountainous road 43 miles southeast of Montrose after the 20-year-old driver lost control of the truck and ran off the road.
“We are very fortunate no one died,” said Cpl. Duane Larson of the Colorado State Patrol, who investigated the accident. “I can’t give you any reason why we didn’t have several dead children.”
He said those in the vehicle ranged from 14 to 23 years old.
He said only one of the occupants of the four-door, 2004 Chevrolet pickup was wearing a seat belt, although the truck was equipped with belts for each of the six people in the cab.
The three individuals riding in the bed of the truck were thrown, as was the person in the center front seat. Also ejected was the passenger seated behind the driver.
According to Larson, the driver, Jennifer Hahn, was northbound on Big Cimmaron Road, 9 miles south of U.S. 50, in Montrose County.
Larson said Hahn, the only person wearing a seat belt, was driving on a slight downhill grade when she lost control and ran off the left side of the road.
Hahn overcorrected, and the vehicle began spinning, ran off the right side of the road, hit some trees, slid through a fence, rolled once and landed on its wheels.
The three people in the bed of the pickup were ages 18, 15 and 14, said Larson.
The trooper said only adults, defined as ages 18 and older, are allowed to ride in the bed of a pickup and only if they are enclosed on four sides and are seated in a safe position.
He said under Colorado law, all children, defined as under age 18, must be wearing a seat belt when in a vehicle. Anyone in the front seat, no matter their age, must be wearing a seat belt, he added.
He said under Colorado state law, adults riding in rows behind the front seat don’t have to be restrained.
Because of the remote location, emergency vehicles from both Montrose and Gunnison responded, said Larson.
All the victims were taken to Montrose Memorial Hospital.
The accident scene was hectic, with multiple ambulances and fire engines responding, said the trooper.
“That is a winding, mountainous gravel road,” said Larson. “We are fortunate that it wasn’t adjacent to a cliff because we have some very large dropoffs nearby.”
Investigators did not leave the scene until 4:30 a.m. Sunday.
As of this morning, Larson said, three of the five remain hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries including Hahn, the driver.
Larson said alcohol is being investigated as a contributing factor to the accident. What charges will be filed will be left up to the district attorney.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
