A 16-year-old drove his Ford Mustang through a stop sign near Loma on the Western Slope and smashed into a limousine Friday night.
Three teenagers were seriously injured, and the Mustang burst into flames. The driver is suspected of drunken driving.
The driver, a 16-year-old girl in his car, and a 13-year-old girl in the limousine were all rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction in serious condition following the 11:52 p.m. accident Friday.
The names of the victims have not been released.
A 44-year-old man who was driving the limousine suffered minor injuries, said Sgt. Aaron Laing of the Colorado State Patrol.
The Mustang’s driver, who is from Glade Park, was driving west on North Road when he drove through a stop sign at Colorado 139 and slammed broadside into the passenger side of the limousine, which was headed north on Colorado 139, Laing said.
“He went right through it,” Laing said. “There was no evidence of braking or that he tried to steer away from an accident.”
The limousine spun around, rolled onto its right side and slid westbound across the intersection and collided with a wooden power pole. It came to rest on its side against a power pole, Laing said.
The Mustang burst into flame after it spun into a front yard.
Bystanders ran to the burning car and helped the 16-year-olds inside out of the car. The girl had a lacerated liver.
The crash remains under investigation, Laing said.
Investigators believe that alcohol played a part in the accident, he said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com or or
