RANGELY I A 21-year-old Dinosaur man was killed and three others were injured in a car accident June 17 outside of Rangely.
The crash happened at 11:30 p.m. at the intersection of Rio Blanco County Road 1, also known as Blue Mountain Highway, and Highway 64, approximately two miles west of Rangely.
Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Brian Bagley said the 2000 Ford Taurus was traveling southbound on County Road 1 when the car allegedly ran a stop sign at the intersection, crossed Highway 64 and continued down an eroded gully south of the highway. It came to a stop after hitting a steep embankment on the gully’s south end.
Kyle Lee Smithey of Dinosaur, the front seat passenger in the vehicle, died of injuries sustained in the crash.
Two female passengers, ages 17 and 18, sustained serious injuries and were flown to Saint Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction. The car’s driver, a 17-year-old juvenile, sustained moderate injuries.
Possible causes of the crash are still under investigation, Bagley said, adding that investigators do not believe alcohol impairment was a factor. The driver and passengers were not wearing seat belts at the time of the crash.
The CSP refused to release any other information including the names of the other persons involved in the accident or to say if charges are pending.
