WELD COUNTY, Colo. — An arrest has been made in the 2017 shooting death of a semi-truck driver who authorities initially thought was fatally struck by his vehicle.
The Weld County Sheriff's Office responded to the intersection of WCR 136 and WCR 77 west of Hereford, Colorado, on May 18, 2017, for reports of a possible fatal traffic crash.
Authorities initially believed the driver of an 18-wheeler semi-truck was performing maintenance when the vehicle unexpectedly moved and ran over the driver. He was declared dead at the scene.
After further investigation, deputies discovered that the driver, 49-year-old Nathan Combs from Burns, Wyoming, instead was shot to death.
Investigators named Mark Dean Switzer, 71, as a suspect.
A search warrant was executed at Switzer's home in Carpenter, Wyoming, and several firearms and ammunition were collected, according to the sheriff's office.
Switzer was arrested Thursday for first-degree murder following testing and analysis of the firearms.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Weld County Sheriff's Office at 970-356-4015 or Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
