Three people have tragically lost their lives following a car accident in El Paso County, according to police. Colorado Springs State Patrol responded to the crash on the evening of July 4. The driver was killed in the accident, so no criminal charges will be forthcoming, but as is all too common in car accidents on holidays, both speed and alcohol have been considered factors in the crash.
According to the accident report, the 30-year-old driver was headed westbound on Falcon Highway around 6:47 p.m. when his vehicle began to drift to the right of the highway. The driver apparently overcorrected, forcing the car into a counter-clockwise spin. This caused the car to strike a utility post and a delineator post, which ejected all four occupants of the vehicle.
The driver and three male passengers, aged 45, 37 and 48 respectively, were not wearing seat belts when the collision occurred. Three of the men were pronounced dead on the scene, while the 48-year-old survived received only minor injuries. Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, including the possibility that the driver might have been intoxicated.
Car accidents predicated on drunk driving are preventable if the driver adheres to Colorado laws pertaining to safe motor vehicle operation. While criminal charges are not filed posthumously, the families of the deceased passengers as well as the injured surviving man may be entitled under state law to file wrongful death and/or personal injury suits against the driver’s estate. If proof exists that he was under the influence of alcohol, this evidence can be used in civil court to support these suits.