THORNTON — Police are looking into every aspect of a 33-year-old woman’s life that may have led to her causing Thursday’s crash that killed a family of five.
“We have not ruled out anything,” said Thornton police spokesman Matt Barnes. “Whether it was a medical condition, a case of reckless driving or if there was anything transpiring in her life, we are looking at all possibilities.”
Investigators are still waiting for results of toxicology tests on Monica Chavez, whose SUV flew through an intersection in Thornton and crashed into two vehicles at East 84th Avenue and Grant Street.
The Ford Expedition she was driving in rush hour Thursday afternoon hit a Mazda sedan, launched across a median and landed on a pickup truck before smashing into an Urban Mattress store.
The pickup was carrying Randy and Crystal Stollsteimer, ages 34 and 31 respectively, and their three children, Sebastian, 12, Darrian, 9, and Cyrus, 7.
All five died on impact.
Chavez and her two children, who also were in the SUV, have been released from the hospital.
Chavez’s pastor said the family believes she suffered some type of seizure at the time of the incident and doesn’t remember what happened.
Relatives of the Stollsteimers were still working on funeral arrangements Monday and hoping to raise funds to pay for the service, said Hank Stollsteimer, Randy’s uncle.
“We’re not sure how that will be funded yet,” he said.
Relatives are also scrambling to find a home for the Stollsteimers’ two dogs: Gauge, an aging boxer, and Tucker, a chocolate Lab mix. Adams County Animal Control took the dogs Saturday.
“We’re starting to solicit for a good home for them,” Hank Stollsteimer said. “They are both really good dogs.”
Contributions can be sent to the Stollsteimer Forever Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 17000, Denver, CO, 80217-7000, or dropped off at any Belco Credit Union or affiliate.
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
