BAYFIELD, Colo. — “Both a tragedy and a miracle” is what authorities are calling a fatal rollover car crash near Bayfield that took the lives of two adults but spared that of a 5-year-old girl, who wasn’t found for more than a day.
But the circumstances of the discovery add another layer to the tragedy. The blue Chevrolet S10 crashed Saturday morning, but crews discovered the wreckage nearly 30 hours later, down an embankment east of Bayfield off US 160.
The Colorado State Patrol said the truck was traveling eastbound on US 160 when it rolled off the south shoulder of the roadway and came to rest on its roof after rolling an unknown number of times.
Inside the overturned vehicle, firefighters made a heartbreaking discovery. Crews from Upper Pine Fire found the child, who survived inside the wreckage for more than a day, and recovered the bodies of the two adults.
Despite the violent crash, the child showed no obvious injuries. The Upper Pine Fire chief told Denver7 that the girl was transported to Mercy Hospital in Durango as a precaution and has since been released.
The two adults were identified as the 25-year-old male driver, Devante Griffin, and a 24-year-old female passenger, Klariza Tarango. Authorities said the family was from Farmington, New Mexico.
CSP said both adults were pronounced deceased at the scene. As of Monday, investigators had not released the exact cause and time of their deaths, and it remains unclear whether either adult was wearing a seatbelt.
According to the chief, this kind of delay isn’t unusual in that part of La Plata County, given the terrain. He said Saturday morning’s wreckage was not visible from the highway.
The chief did not say how the wreckage was found or by whom. The investigation into what caused the single-vehicle crash is underway. However, troopers said impairment and excessive speed are not being investigated as factors in this crash, and no charges are expected to be filed.
On Monday, the agency stressed the importance of properly using car and booster seats, which officials say many people misunderstand. It's unclear if the 5-year-old was in a booster seat at the time of the incident.
The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to piece together the timeline of a tragedy that claimed two lives yet left one child remarkably unharmed.
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