Eight minutes after midnight on Sept. 23 2012, the Colorado State Patrol was notified of a single vehicle crash on Colorado 70 near milepost 23 in Mesa County, Colorado. This location is approximately two miles east of Fruita.

Once trooper’s arrived at the crash scene they found a 2006 Pontiac G6 driven by a twenty-one year old male where he had been travelling eastbound on Colorado 70. The 2006 Pontiac approached a right curve in the roadway and ran off the left side of the roadway into the center depressed median. The 2006 Pontiac G6 began to rotate clockwise and collided with an erect curve advisory sign in the median and then rolled three times through the center median. The Pontiac came to rest on its wheels facing south in the center median. During the roll sequence the male driver was ejected from the passenger side window and came to final rest in the eastbound lanes of Colorado 70. The male driver was found deceased in the eastbound lanes. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office came to the crash scene and took possession of the male driver.

Alcohol use is considered a contributing factor in the cause of this crash. The crash remains under investigation by the Colorado State Patrol reconstruction team.

The Colorado State Patrol would like to remind drivers to please take two seconds to buckle their seatbelts anytime they are traveling in a motor vehicle. We would also like to remind drivers to think twice before they operate a motor vehicle after they have been consuming alcoholic beverages.