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Delta County teen dies in first of 6 deadly crashes reported by CSP overnight

The crashes happened over a 12-hour period on highways across the state.

COLORADO, USA — A Delta High School senior died and three other people were injured after a driver lost control of a vehicle and it went off the road Saturday in Delta County, according to authorities.

It was one of six fatal crashes the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) responded to between Saturday night and Sunday morning.

The Delta County Sheriff's Office responded about 9:20 p.m. to the intersection of 2100 Road and E Road in the Peach Valley area in Delta on a report of a serious traffic accident.

A spokesperson for CSP said the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed, lost control and went off the road.

At the scene, deputies found four injured occupants: two Delta High School students and two recent high school graduates. Sheriff officials said one of the high school students died at the scene.

Two occupants were transported to St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction and were in critical condition, authorities said. One occupant was transported to Delta County Memorial Hospital and was listed as stable.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the families and victims in this serious accident and to all the first responders who responded to this scene," the sheriff's office said in a press release. "This accident will have a profound and lasting impact on our community, students and first responders."

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

The second crash was in Weld County about 10:15 p.m. at Weld County roads 18 and 37. A speeding vehicle lost control and went off the road, rolled, and ejected the driver, identified as 37-year-old Joshua Scot, who died, according to CSP. Scot wasn't wearing a seat belt, officials said.

The third crash was at around 1:16 a.m., also in Weld County, at Colorado Highway 392 and Weld County Road 68. CSP said a vehicle collided with a speed limit sign, rotated, went off the road and rolled. The driver was identified as 38-year-old Joshua Loveland, of Jacksonville, Fla. He died on the scene. Loveland was believed to have been restrained, coroner officials said.  Alcohol and speed are both suspected as factors. 

The fourth crash happened at around 2:20 a.m. on Interstate 25 in the Frederick/Firestone area. CSP said a pedestrian, identified by the Weld County Coroner's Office as 21-year-old Ramon Chavez, of Lochbuie, was in the northbound lanes when he were struck by a vehicle that tried to swerve out of the way. The driver of the vehicle stopped at the scene and cooperated with authorities, coroner officials said.

The fifth crash was in Montezuma County near Cortez. CSP said a vehicle was northbound just after 7:30 a.m. when it crossed the center line and collided head-on with a semi heading south. The driver of the first vehicle died. Alcohol is suspected as a factor.

The sixth crash was at around 9:30 a.m. in Larimer County. CSP said vehicles going in opposite directions on Larimer County Road 54G west of Taft Hill Road collided head-on. One vehicle was a van for a wheelchair, and the elderly person in the wheelchair died. Alcohol is suspected in that crash, as well.

"I think about those six people that are no longer here," CSP's Sgt. Blake White said. "That matters. So, when you actually think about more than just a number -- their lives, that's a human being, that somebody lost their loved one, their friend, their co-worker -- it matters."

White said more than 500 people have been killed on Colorado roadways in 2019, but that only includes crashes CSP investigated.

He said while he and other law enforcement officers will continue to warn drivers of the deadly consequences of driving under the influence and speeding, it comes with some frustration.

"People have heard this so many times, so many ways," White said. "But they never think it's going to be them. They think they're the best driver and that it's always somebody else's fault. Well, it's not. It's people that are still making these decisions that aren't fixing these problems that are costing people their lives."

White says it's important people actually heed his words before they learn a much tougher and more permanent way.

"Six, one, however many it is, it's not okay," White said. "It's not acceptable and we have to change something."

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