GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Family members have identified three of the five teens killed after their car veered off road and down into a cliff in Grand Junction over the weekend.
William Simms, Tyler Kersey and Tristan Tucker — all 17 years old — died from injuries sustained in the crash, which occurred Saturday night near 2694 Lookout Lane.
Grand Junction police said in a news release Monday the car was traveling south on the roadway when it veered off the road and down a steep hillside.
First responders were not dispatched to the crash site until early Sunday morning. Police have not said how the crash was discovered or what prompted the Sunday morning response.
Investigators also said they are examining speed as a possible factor in the deadly crash.
Three of the occupants, including the driver and front-seat passenger, were wearing seat belts, while two others were ejected from the vehicle, according to the news release.
Personnel from the Grand Junction Police Department, Mesa County Search and Rescue, Grand Junction Fire Department and the Mesa County Coroner's Office worked together to recover the victims from the crash site.
A 2023 Google Street View image of Lookout Lane does not show guardrails along the stretch of road where the crash occurred. It is unclear whether any barriers were in place at the time of Saturday's crash.
Authorities have not indicated whether roadway design or the absence of guardrails played any role in the crash.
