Fifth fatality of the year on Hwy. 13 between Meeker and Rifle

RBC | A 37-year-old female from Salt Lake City, Utah, was killed in the accident that closed Highway 13 for several hours Thursday, Dec. 21.
The woman was one of four Salt Lake City occupants in a Dodge Caravan traveling south on Hwy. 13 about 11 miles north of Rifle. The minivan slid sideways into the northbound lane and was struck broadside by a Ford F-350. Both vehicles came to a stop on the roadway.
The driver of the minivan, a 24-year-old male, was flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction with life-threatening injuries. The other two occupants of the van, an 11-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy, were transported to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs with unknown injuries.
The driver of the truck, a 58-year-old female from Meeker, was transported to Grand River Hospital in Rifle with minor injuries. The 66-year-old male passenger, also from Meeker, was taken to Grand River with serious injuries.
Names of the individuals have not been released, pending notification of family. Colorado State Patrol officer Gary Cutler said there was no indication of alcohol impairment or excessive speed as a cause for the accident. Road conditions at the time, according to Colorado Department of Transportation, were icy and snowpacked.
This is the fifth fatality on the same stretch of highway this year.