One man was killed, and five people, four of them children, were hospitalized when two SUVs collided Saturday while changing lanes in Aurora.
The collision happened about 12:30 p.m. on southbound Interstate 225 about a quarter-mile from the interchange with Interstate 70, Aurora police said.
Witnesses told police that a 1996 Nissan Pathfinder, which was driven by Johnnie Hines, 42, of Denver, attempted to change from a right lane to the middle lane while a 2007 Toyota RAV4 driven by Lauren Rand, 23, of Fort Collins was changing from the left lane to the middle lane.
Both SUVs spun after the collision. The Toyota came to a stop, but the Nissan became airborne after hitting a concrete barrier and rolled one and a half times. Two 8-year-old children were ejected from the Nissan when it rolled. A woman and two other children, ages 16 and 4, in the Nissan were not ejected.
Hines was pronounced dead at the scene. The others in the Nissan were taken to Children’s Hospital and the University of Colorado Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Lt. Jim Steciuk, spokesman for the Aurora Police Department, said no fines or charges have been issued while the accident continues to be investigated, he said. Alcohol and drugs are not considered to be factors.
