Overview

• The collision occurred just after 7 a.m. on Aug. 4 on Colorado Highway 9 near mile marker 136 when a Ford F-150 crossed into southbound traffic and struck a family SUV, causing both vehicles to burst into flames.
• Grand County authorities identified the victims as parents Manuel Cabral-Torres, 34, and Andrea Banuelos-Salazar, 30, and their children Maria, 12, Manuel, 5, and Andres, 2.
• The 25-year-old wrong-way driver was airlifted to a regional hospital with life-threatening injuries and remains in critical condition in the intensive care unit.
• Colorado State Patrol is conducting a thorough investigation into the causes of the crash, with Chief Matthew C. Packard warning that wrong-way incidents often stem from impairment, inattention or excessive speed.
• Local residents have launched GoFundMe campaigns, the West Grand School District has arranged counseling services, and a grandmother has traveled from Mexico to join the family’s mourning.