DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A suspected stolen vehicle was involved in the deadly three-crash Monday near Franktown that killed five people, including three children, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said Tuesday morning.
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5 people killed, including 3 juveniles, in Douglas County crash Monday afternoon
A 31-year-old man out of Denver was driving a Toyota Matrix hatchback, which was reported stolen to the Aurora Police Department on Monday around 3:30 p.m. The driver was not believed to have been wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash, according to CSP.
He lost control of the hatchback driving southbound on Highway 83 and veered off the right shoulder, then over corrected, traveling into oncoming northbound traffic.
That's when the driver of the Toyota hit a Ford Fusion sedan.
A 35-year-old man out of Colorado Springs was behind the wheel of the Ford Fusion. He had five children in the car. An 8-year-old boy, both a 12-year-old girl and boy, a 13-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy were passengers — all from Colorado Springs as well. The driver, 12-year-old girl and boy, and 8-year-old boy were all pronounced dead at the scene. CSP said the driver of the Toyota was ejected and killed at the scene as well.
The 13-year-old girl in the front passenger seat and the 14-year-old boy in the back seat of the sedan were airlifted to a nearby hospital for life-threatening injuries.
The Douglas County Coroner's Office will release the identities of those killed after their families have been notified.
The CSP Vehicular Crimes Unit is investigating what happened. Originally, a Ford pickup truck behind the sedan was thought to have been involved, but it was later learned the driver of the pickup stopped just before the crash. There was no damage to the pickup and the driver was not injured.
Anyone who observed the crash, but has not yet talked with investigators, is asked to call CSP Dispatch at 303-239-4501.
