Two die in Highway 82 crash

Click to Enlarge Browse and Buy Post Independent Photos A 2000 Kia Sephia crashed into a tractor-trailer that was illegally blocking Highway 82 about 1 mile east of Catherine Store Tuesday. The driver and front seat passenger in the Kia died at the scene, while the back seat passenger suffered serious injuries. The occupants of the Kia are unidentified. Chad Billups, Submitted

Scott Condon
January 9, 2008

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El JEBEL - Two people died and a third person suffered life-threatening injuries Tuesday when their car slammed into a tractor-trailer that was illegally blocking Highway 82, the Colorado State Patrol said.

The accident occurred in the pre-dawn darkness about 1 mile east of Catherine Store and 3 miles west of El Jebel. The rig pulled out of a driveway on the north side of Highway 82 and attempted to turn left onto the eastbound or upvalley lanes, according to the accident report. While the driver stopped and waited for a break in traffic, his truck and trailer protruded back into the westbound lanes.

A 2000 Kia Sephia traveling downvalley T-boned the trailer and became partially wedged underneath. A male driving the car and a female passenger riding in front were killed at the scene, the state patrol said. A male riding in the back seat suffered serious injuries and was air lifted from Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction. He was clinging to life as of press time.

The driver of the rig, Mark Chamness, 48, of Littleton, was cited for multiple violations, the state patrol said, including careless driving causing death and careless driving causing bodily injury.

None of the victims wore a seat belt, and they didn't carry identification.

"We have no clue who they are," said Garfield County Deputy Coroner Steve Pollard. "We have their cell phones, which are ringing off the hook."

The coroner's office didn't want to answer the calls and break the news to family and friends that way, Pollard said. But they considered working with law enforcement authorities to use the phones to contact people to try to learn the victim's identities.

The accident occurred at 6:40 a.m. about 47 minutes before sunrise. The darkness might have played a role in the tragedy, said Capt. Rich Duran of the state patrol.

Chamness was driving a truck owned by Davidson Industries of Commerce City. It was hauling the type of modular trailer that typically serves as a temporary office at construction projects. The modular trailer was hoisted on wheels and was being delivered to Buttermilk Ski Area, according to Duran.

Buttermilk is being prepared for the ESPN Winter X Games later this month.

The modular trailers are being used there for offices for ESPN crew.

A spokeswoman for ESPN said the company hired a firm called Pac Zan to deliver materials needed at Buttermilk, and that the firm has the ability to subcontract work. ESPN doesn't have a contract with Davidson Industries, she said.

Davidson Industries was hauling a trailer that didn't appear to have lights on its sides, Duran said, so it might have been difficult for approaching traffic to see it. Investigators saw no evidence that the car skidded while trying to stop, Duran said. They estimated that the Kia was traveling at or near the 65 mph speed limit at the time of the collision. Neither excess speed nor alcohol were suspected as factors in the accident. Duran said the highway lanes were dry in that area.

Chamness wore a seat belt and was not injured. In addition to the two careless driving violations, he was charged with stopping in an intersection when prohibited and violating the over width/over height permit by operating during hours of darkness, the accident report said.

Rescue crews from Carbondale and Basalt responded to the scene. The westbound lanes were closed for about three hours during the investigation and cleanup. Traffic in those lanes was diverted onto secondary roads between the main El Jebel stoplight and Catherine.

Eastbound or upvalley traffic moved slowly but kept flowing throughout the morning commute.