Two people died in a two-car, head-on crash Thursday on U.S. Highway 160 west of Hesperus.
The crash occurred about 5:15 p.m. in the Cherry Creek area, just east of the Montezuma-La Plata county line, closing the highway in both directions for about three hours.
After a sudden downpour of rain, a male driver was traveling westbound toward Mancos when his SUV hydroplaned into the eastbound lane, crashing into an SUV carrying a family of four, said Cpl. Lance Sanchez with the Colorado State Patrol. The westbound car was a Nissan Armada; the eastbound car was a Honda Pilot.
The driver of the westbound vehicle appeared to be alert and talking to first-responders, he said.
“This accident is under investigation, and we are not releasing the names of the drivers or other occupants,” Sanchez said around 8 p.m. Thursday.
Capt. Adrian Driscoll with the State Patrol said the fatalities involved two of the occupants of the Honda Pilot. One died at the scene, and one died at Mercy Regional Medical Center. The other two occupants of the Honda and the driver of the Nissan were taken to Mercy.