GJ man arrested in deadly crash

Paul Shockley
Grand Junction Correspondent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado
March 28, 2008

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GRAND JUNCTION — A Grand Junction man is suspected of vehicular homicide in the death of his common-law wife after Wednesday’s rollover accident on Interstate 70.

Dusty L. Reeves, 24, was booked into the Mesa County Jail Wednesday evening by Colorado State Patrol troopers on charges of vehicular homicide, two counts of felony vehicular assault, driving under the influence and five counts of careless driving causing injury.

Reeves was the alleged driver of a Chevy Trailblazer that lost control while driving westbound on I-70 near DeBeque around 7:23 p.m.

Around mile marker 61.5, the SUV started to rotate clockwise and went off the north side of the road, then rolled, troopers said in a news release.

Four of the seven passengers — including the front-seat passenger, 22-year-old Jennifer Torbet — were thrown from the vehicle.

Mesa County Coroner’s investigator Steve Stogsdill said Reeves and Torbet were common-law husband and wife.

Grand Junction residents Khristopher Hayes, 21, and Chassity Gross, 22, both suffered serious injuries, troopers said.

A St. Mary’s Hospital spokesman Thursday evening said Hayes was still listed in serious condition and Gross was in good condition

Kane Davis, 24, Steven Creech, 24, and Steven Umberger, 21, all of Grand Junction, were also passengers and were treated at the hospital Wednesday night.
Creech’s condition was good Thursday night.

Davis and Umberger were not listed in a hospital patient directory Thursday evening.

Reeves has a minimal criminal history in Mesa County.

According to court records, Reeves was issued a summons by a sheriff’s deputy Feb. 28 for failure to use a turn signal and driving with no proof of insurance.

He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault related to a brawl last year at a Clifton bar.

Reach Paul Shockley at pshockley@gjfreepress.com