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Two injured after RFTA bus T-bones Subaru on Highway 82

Rick Carroll
Aspen Correspondent
Glenwood Springs, CO Colorado

Two people were hospitalized Sunday after the Subaru in which they were riding was struck in the side by a public bus on Highway 82. None of the 20 to 30 passengers aboard the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority bus were injured, said RFTA CEO Dan Blankenship.

Authorities were notified of the accident, which occurred in the eastbound lane of Highway 82 near the turnoff for the Pitkin County Landfill, at approximately 10:25 a.m., said Pitkin County Sheriff’s Deputy Joe Bauer.

The 16-year-old driver who lost control of the vehicle was issued a ticket for careless driving causing bodily injury, said Trooper Mark Barritt of the Colorado State Patrol.



The trooper said the motorist was driving at an excessive speed and lacked the experience to navigate the slushy, icy roads.

The driver fractured his pelvis, Barritt said. The passenger, the father of the driver, was admitted into the intensive care unit at Aspen Valley Hospital with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. The father and son’s names were not made available. Both were wearing their seat belts. There were no other passengers in the Subaru.



“The bus could not avoid the car,” Barritt said. “The car spun out in front of the bus, went off the right side of the roadway, came back to the right lane and basically came to a stop. The bus had nowhere to go.”

Likewise, Blankenship said the bus driver slowed down the RFTA vehicle to about 15 mph but could not avoid the Subaru. The bus could not switch lanes because a truck was in the other lane, Blankenship said.

“I’m hopeful that the occupants of the other vehicle were not injured seriously,” Blankenship said. “And I’m thankful our driver and passengers were not hurt. It could have been a lot more serious, but I think our driver acted appropriately.”

The car was totaled, according to Bauer. The front windshield of the bus was slightly damaged, but that was about it, Blankenship said.

rcarroll@aspentimes.com


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