At least 13 people traveling on Interstate 70 near Limon called Lincoln County 911 dispatchers on Dec. 26 warning that a semi was headed west in the eastbound lanes of the interstate near Limon.
But police and state troopers were unable to divert traffic from the highway or get the tractor-trailer to stop in the nine minutes between the first call and when the truck slammed into a car, killing a man and injuring his wife.
The first call received by dispatchers in Lincoln County came at 7:58 p.m.
“I just want to tell you there is a semi truck going west in the eastbound lanes,” says the motorist. The caller also says the semi’s lights are off.
At this point, as a second call comes in, the dispatcher can be heard talking to a Limon police officer — “Limon 5” — and telling the officer that the semi is near mile marker 356 or 357.
Later, a motorist calls from 8 miles west of Limon and reports the wrong-way semi.
The dispatcher says, “We do have an officer at that location to get this taken care of.”
That Limon police officer frantically pursued the Freightliner, which was being driven by Jason Ross, 33, of St. Louis for USA Truck Inc. The officer first drove in the westbound lanes of the interstate and then cut into the median next to the eastbound lanes with lights flashing and sirens blaring — but Ross ignored him, police said.
The semi smashed into a car being driven by Martin Hernandez, 71, of Lamar. He was killed. His wife, Maria “Angie” Hernandez, 77, suffered serious injuries. Their granddaughter, Audianna Hernandez, 9, escaped injury.
Ross remains jailed on vehicular-homicide and DUI charges, among others.
