The crashed happened about 9:20 a.m. and involved a pickup truck and sport-utility vehicle. Officials closed down the intersection, directing traffic onto side roads.
A deputy from Cortez who didn’t want to be identified reported that drivers and passengers in both vehicles were wearing their seat belts, including children in the SUV. Airbags in both vehicles deployed. An Southwest Memorial ambulance crew evaluated victims of the crash, the deputy said, and reported no serious injuries.
“Just bumps and bruises. Everyone was belted in, and that saved lives,” he said.
The crash forced the truck onto an intersection median and ripped off the back left tire, sending it rolling 50 yards down an embankment next to the Maverick gas station.
The crash is under investigation. The Cortez Police Department, Cortez Fire Department, and Southwest Memorial Hospital responded to the accident.