Three people were killed Wednesday morning when a driver in a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck two Colorado Department of Transportation employees working along U.S. 6 in Mesa County, state patrol said.
An initial investigation into the triple-fatal crash shows that the Jeep driver struck the two workers who were working outside of their vehicle before hitting a parked CDOT vehicle, which caused the Jeep to roll, Colorado State Patrol said in a news release.
The two CDOT workers died at the crash scene. The driver of the Jeep was brought to a hospital and the other person inside died at the scene, the agency said.
The state patrol is still investigating what led up to the crash, which happened around 10:30 a.m.
On Thursday, CDOT identified the two workers who were killed as Trenton “Trent” Umberger and Nathan “Nate” Jones.
The last time a CDOT worker was killed while working was in 2020, according to the department. Steven Hagemann died after he was struck and hit by a driver in January and died that March.
Under Colorado law, drivers are required to move over a lane or reduce their speed to at least 20 mph below the posted speed limit when there is a disabled vehicle on the side of the road with its hazards activated.
Failure to move over or slow down for a disabled vehicle could result in a class 2 misdemeanor traffic violation, which carries a fine up to $150 and a 3-point license violation, according to AAA. If a driver’s failure to slow down or move over results in serious injury or the death of another person, penalties can rise to a class 6 felony, which carries a prison sentence of up to 18 months and fines up to $100,000, AAA said.
“Anybody who’s ever suffered a breakdown at the roadside will tell you just how scary it can be waiting for help as traffic whips by at highway speeds just inches away,” Skyler McKinley, regional director of public affairs for AAA, said in a statement Wednesday. “Now imagine if that was your daily workplace. Coloradans have a responsibility to look out for the people who keep us safe and keep our roads moving. Slow down and move over — it’s always the right thing to do, and it’s the law, too.”
Gov. Jared Polis said the two CDOT workers had stopped on the side of the road to fix a sign when they were struck.
“I’m heartbroken by this horrible accident and my thoughts are with the families of the individuals, CDOT, and the communities,” Polis said in a statement. “These Coloradans will be missed by their state, families, and communities.”
CORRECTION: This story was updated to correct information about the last time a CDOT worker was killed on the job prior to Wednesday’s crash.