A semi-tractor trailer driver had been smoking marijuana when he crossed into oncoming lanes and caused a fiery crash with a dump truck that killed himself and the other driver earlier this year.
Daniel Seilheimer, 41, of Colorado Springs, was driving a bobtail tractor for England Trucking south on Quebec Parkway on May 27 when he veered into the oncoming lane at the 7500 block and collided head-on with a Waste Management truck.
Both trucks burst into flame and Seilheimer and George Mendoza, 52, were killed, said Chris Dickey, spokesman for the Commerce City police department.
A later toxicology test determined that Seilheimer was under the influence of marijuana at the time of the accident, Dickey said.
“His ability to safely operate a motor vehicle was significantly impaired,” he said.
It is illegal to operate any motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, including medical marijuana, Dickey said. Authorities do not know whether Seilheimer was authorized to use medical marijuana.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
