A deadly stretch of highway: Three major crashes in six days draw attention to 30-mile section of 285

In a recent six-day period, police scanners blared with calls from three major crashes along U.S. 285. Two people died in separate accidents.

Colorado State Patrol statistics show that along a 30-mile stretch of the highway between C-470 and Bailey, there were five fatalities and 87 accidents from January until Nov. 4.

“Eighty-seven accidents is an extraordinary number, and we need to push that down,” Colorado State Patrol Trooper Heather Cobler said.

In 2009, there were two fatalities on U.S. 285.

However, Cobler said, statewide traffic fatalities are down, with 341 people losing their lives in 2010 compared with 395 in 2009. Of the fatal crashes in Colorado in 2010, driving under the influence and lane violations each accounted for 20.5 percent of the accidents, and distracted driving accounted for 18 percent of the fatalities.

The latest accident

On Friday, another head-on collision on U.S. 285 near Santa Maria shut down traffic for several hours while investigators pieced together the events that severely injured the driver of a Dodge Durango that collided on a curve with an oversized semi-truck.

According to Cobler, accident investigations can help show motorists what not to do while driving. But she said statistics should not obscure the victims and the families and friends they leave behind.

“What we’re talking about is people’s lives,” Cobler said. “Even though we’re reading them as a number, maybe we can help people understand and pay attention.”

Common factors

Cobler said common factors were present in all the fatal accidents along U.S. 285.

“The thing in common with a lot of the accidents is not driving in a safe and prudent manner on these windy roads,” Cobler said.

Driver errors include turning left in front of traffic, high speeds, intentionally swerving, driving the wrong way, weaving on a curve and crossing over the center line. In the two fatalities last week, one driver crossed over the center line, and the other was driving on the wrong side of the road.

“People need to pay attention, slow down, drive in a safe manner and stay in their own lane,” Cobler said.

Cobler said drivers are more easily distracted when they are familiar with a stretch of road and get in a comfort zone.

“When on a new road, you always drive a lot safer,” she said. “The more you drive that road, the more comfortable (you get). You know how the road turns and how your car will respond. It gets to the place where you’re in a wreck.”

So far this year, five area residents have lost their lives on U.S. 285:

• On Nov. 3, Sabrina Pederson, 33, of Evergreen died in a wrong-way crash. The accident also injured a Jefferson County sheriff’s deputy, 41-year-old Markus Liebe. Liebe is still in the hospital after surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

• On Halloween, Alicia Wilson, 51, of Bailey died in a head-on collision on U.S. 285 at Spring Road. Shawn Lancaster of Pine was injured in the accident. Wilson’s son, Parker, 10, was injured and transported to Children’s Hospital. Parker is still at Children’s Hospital in Aurora.

• On Aug. 30, motorcyclist Joseph Bixler, 36, of Bailey died in a collision with a car driven by Vera Carucci, 98, of Indian Hills. Carrucci was not injured.

• On Jan. 5, Conifer High School students Kenny Barnett of Evergreen and Mara C. Parslow of Morrison, both 16, died in a late-night accident on U.S. 285 near Pine Junction. Kenny Barnett’s brother, Austin, 18, was injured. The drivers of the other two vehicles were identified as Kylee J. Taylor, 20, of Bailey, who was not injured, and Thomas R. Dimler, 42, of Pine, who suffered minor injuries.

This story ran in the November 7, 2010 edition of the High Timber Times. Photo by Barbara Ford.