A pair of unrelated accidents in Denver’s northern suburbs left a total of 4 people dead and 1 person injured. Both accidents happened at intersections.
The first accident involved two vehicles. One vehicle was traveling north and struck another vehicle heading east. Both vehicles were SUVs. The woman driving east died at the scene of the crash, while the other woman had to be taken to the hospital with injuries authorities described as serious.
Police are trying to determine whether one of the drivers had been drinking at the time of the accident.
Second fatal accident involving 5 vehicles happened a short time later
Only a short time after the first accident, authorities in a neighboring jurisdiction responded to another fatal wreck at an intersection, this one involving 5 vehicles.
Police responding to that accident indicated that 3 people in 2 different vehicles lost their lives in the second collision. No other victims had to be taken to the hospital for physical injuries.
Police investigated for more than 6 hours before re-opening the intersection to traffic. They said that they believed speeding may have contributed to the accident but gave no opinion on whether drugs or alcohol also played a part in the tragedy. They are asking for any member of the public with information about the accident to come forward.
Colorado’s drivers must be careful at intersections
Particularly when traffic passes through them at higher speeds, car accidents at intersections frequently cause fatalities and catastrophic injuries.
A driver in Golden and the surrounding communities has an obligation to slow down at intersections and pay careful attention to oncoming traffic, avoiding cell phones and other distractions. She also must yield the right of way as Colorado’s laws require.
Drunk, drugged, or fatigued driving can contribute to accidents, and drivers have an obligation not to engage in these dangerous behaviors.
If a driver fails in these responsibilities and causes an injury accident at an intersection, he may be held financially responsible for the losses he causes.