A 48 year-old Fort Lupton man is in critical condition at North Colorado Medical Center after running a boat aground on Sand Hills Reservoir in Weld County early today.
One of the passengers, a 37 year-old Brighton woman, also was hospitalized and is in fair condition at the medical center.
Sheriff’s deputies found the boat jammed against some rocks on the shore after someone reported a loud boom and a horn honking at the lake northwest of Fort Lupton.
“We believe the loud boom was when they crashed directly into the rocks or into a cement structure like a dock. There is a campground on the lake,” said Deputy Shane Scofield.
The accident is still under investigation but alcohol is suspected as a contributing factor, Scofield said.
Charges could include operating a vessel while under the influence and vehicular assault, Scofield said.
Another passenger left before deputies arrived and the boat’s owner wasn’t on board, authorities said.
Scofield didn’t identify any of those on the boat when it crashed around 12:30 a.m.
The Fort Lupton man, who was driving, his son, 21, who is from Edgewater, a 25-year-old Arvada woman, a 37-year-old woman and 31-year-old man, both from Brighton, and a 27-year-old Commerce City woman, were all taken to North Colorado Medical Center.
The driver and the woman from Brighton remain in the hospital. The others were treated and released.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
