A two-car crash on Ellicott Highway claimed one life in El Paso County on the night of Oct. 7, according to local sources. The Colorado State Patrol has confirmed the accident occurred around 10 p.m. and involved a pickup truck and an SUV. The driver of the SUV was killed. As with most car accidents, this incident is still under investigation.
According to the limited information in the report, it appears the pickup truck was traveling northbound on Ellicott Highway when the accident occurred. The pickup crashed into a westbound Jeep near Judge Orr Road. The force of the impact pushed the Jeep off the road and through a barbed-wire fence. The driver of the Jeep, an 18-year-old man, was killed in the impact.
The pickup truck flipped over, but the driver was uninjured. Police do not believe alcohol or drugs were contributing factors in this accident, but their investigation is ongoing as of this report. So far, the driver has not been formally charged, and that individual is not in police custody at this time. The identity of the victim was being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Depending on the outcome of the Colorado police investigation, the driver of the pickup truck may yet face criminal charges for his or her involvement in the crash. Car accidents causing fatalities do not always lead to criminal charges, of course, but state law does allow the victim’s family to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the pickup truck. Such a suit is handled in a civil court and does not require a criminal conviction in order to be successful.