Three people were killed in a fiery head-on crash on U.S. 85 on Wednesday after an SUV driver fleeing Weld County sheriff’s deputies drove into oncoming traffic, according to the State Patrol.
Deputies were pursuing a suspected stolen GMC Yukon on northbound U.S. 85 near Colorado 60 about 3 p.m. when the Yukon driver crossed the median into the southbound lanes, crashing into a Toyota 4Runner, the State Patrol said in a news release.
The area is between Platteville and Gilcrest, about 15 miles south of Greeley.
The crash caused a gas leak, and both vehicles caught fire, trapping the driver and a passenger in the Yukon as well as the Toyota driver.
Troopers attempted to separate the vehicles after the crash using a patrol vehicle and tried to extinguish the fire, but both drivers and the passenger died.
The Weld County coroner’s office on Friday identified the Toyota driver as Christine Ann Schwarz, 57, of Mead and the Yukon driver as Kayla Dickinson, 37, of Evans. The county identified the passenger in the Yukon as Alejandro Loya, 31, on May 8.
A deputy had minor injuries after trying to save people from the crash and was treated on scene, according to the State Patrol.
The Yukon’s license plate was stolen and did not match the SUV, but investigators are still working to confirm whether the vehicle was stolen.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said a deputy was walking toward the Yukon during a traffic stop when the driver sped away and that the crash happened “as the deputy was trying to relocate and contact the vehicle.”
The sheriff’s office declined to answer questions about whether the deputy was pursuing the Yukon and whether lights and siren were turned on, citing the ongoing investigation.
“The sheriff’s office extends our condolences to the victims of this terrible incident that resulted from the actions of the suspect,” the agency said in a statement Thursday.
Sheriff’s officials are also conducting an internal investigation.
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Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include the identity of the passenger killed in the crash.
