2016 was a year for many devastating car accidents in and around Boulder, Colorado. Here are some of the worst car accidents that happened last year:
Three-Car Crash
A texting and driving incident caused one man to have his legs amputated in July after a three-car crash in Boulder. The accident happened at the 3300 block of East Aurora Avenue just outside the victim’s home. His roommate looked outside and noted the severity of the injuries when he reported the crash to police.
Investigators charged the responsible driver with driving under the influence of alcohol, vehicular assault, reckless driving, and texting while driving. The 28-year-old victim, who had been pinned between two cars and lost his legs due to the crash, said the costs of his medical bills and rehabilitation exceeded $200,000.
Two-Car Collision
A Boulder couple was killed in May after a 17-year-old driver collided with the victims’ vehicle. According to investigators, the teenager who caused the crash failed to brake as he ran into the couple who were stopped at a red light. Authorities suspected drug use and found that the 17-year-old had been using marijuana at the time of the car accident.
The victims, who were 30 and 39 years old, were hospitalized in critical condition and later died of their injuries. The teenager who was driving under the influence was also injured but recovered quickly.
Semi Accident Death
A man died after being trapped beneath a semi-truck on Highway 128 in October. The crash shut down the highway for nearly five hours at Eldorado Boulevard, where it took the emergency response team an hour to get the 35-year-old out from under the semi and rush him to the hospital. He later died due to suffering massive trauma from the waist down.
Hit and Run Bicycle Death
A male cyclist died in June after being hit by a female driver who fled the scene. Investigators learned that the responsible car came into the bike lane and fatally injured the 35-year-old victim. Authorities were able to track down the 24-year-old driver who tried to get away. State police determined that the woman responsible for the deadly accident was under the influence of drugs and alcohol at the time of the crash. This incident was the third deadly bicycle accident in Boulder in 2016.
School Bus Crash
A school bus driver and five high school students were injured on Highway 7 in December in an incident that prompted the driver to be investigated for driving under the influence. The bus driver admitted to a state trooper at the scene that she could not recall why the crash happened and explained that she was taking a mixture of prescription drugs at the time the accident occurred. None of the students’ injuries were life-threatening, but the district attorney filed multiple felony charges against the driver for endangering the lives of her students and others on the road.
A common theme in these and other bad crashes across the state is that the majority of such accidents are caused by irresponsible drivers who are at fault. Unfortunately, the innocent victims are the ones to suffer and sometimes pay for the mistakes with their lives. Victims and loved ones are the people left to deal with the pain, suffering, and medical expenses.
Bart Costello is the founder of Injury Law. Bart is passionate about helping people. He has built a strong reputation over the last thirty years as one of the premier Boulder personal injury attorneys.