Updated at 6:08 p.m. on Sept. 4, 2024.
A single vehicle crash on Highway 6 in Mesa County killed three people Wednesday morning, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
At a press conference near the site of the accident Wednesday afternoon, State Patrol Chief Col. Matthew Packard said initial investigations did not suggest the driver was intoxicated.
“I will tell you that (from) the initial investigation, we do not suspect impairment at this time. There's still a lot to go through and we will work closely with the Mesa County District Attorney's office on the valuation of potential criminal charges,” Packard said.
Packard was joined by CDOT Executive Director Shoshana Lew, who mentioned a memorial stone for employees that have died on the job.
“Today we're here knowing that we'll have to add to the ranks of the people who we will have to remember for losing their lives,” Lew said.
None of the victims have been identified yet. They include two roadway workers with the Colorado Department of Transportation and the passenger in the vehicle that hit them. All three died at the scene.
One other person from the vehicle is hospitalized, and authorities have not released information about their condition.
“Initial investigations show the crash involved a Jeep Grand Cherokee that struck two CDOT employees working outside of their vehicle and then a parked CDOT vehicle, causing the Jeep to roll,” according to a CSP statement.
Both sides of the highway were shut down from 35 Road to 34 Road. Both directions reopened around 3:45 p.m. There is no timetable for its reopening, though CSP said drivers should expect an extended closure.
CDOT said on April 15, its annual Remembrance Day, that 62 of its employees have died on the job since 1929. The pair killed Wednesday raises that figure to 64.
"While highway workers are at great risk every day, it is just as critical for motorists to be safe and responsible in work zones," said a CDOT statement marking the April memorial event. "In fact, four out of five work zone fatalities are people driving through work zones, not highway workers."
There were 15 crashes in Colorado work zones in 2023, according to the agency. Those incidents killed 16 people.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
