Three people have died as a result of a three-car collision in El Paso County, according to local and state sources. Colorado State Patrol has confirmed the deaths of three people as well as three others who were injured. The driver believed to be responsible for the crash was also killed in the collision, so criminal charges are not forthcoming. As with most car accidents, this one is still under investigation.
According to police records, around 3 p.m. the afternoon of Nov. 16, an SUV driven by a 75-year-old woman and carrying two passengers reportedly ran a stop sign at an intersection in El Paso County, causing a collision with a pickup truck and another SUV. The driver and the two passengers, a 58-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman, were all killed in the crash. It is unclear whether they died on the scene or later at the hospital.
Three other people in other vehicles were hurt, but their injuries were described as non life-threatening. Police are unclear what caused the driver to run the stop sign, but preliminary investigation points to this as the catalyst of the accident. They have not ruled out recklessness, negligence or other factors at this time.
Police may not be able to determine what caused the driver to run the stop sign, and since criminal charges are not filed posthumously, there will be no criminal followup to this case. However, Colorado state law does allow the injured victims and the families of the deceased passengers in car accidents to file wrongful death and/or personal injury lawsuits against the driver’s estate in civil court. Evidence showing the driver’s material contribution to the crash can be sourced from the police investigation.