Twelve cows killed in Saguache cattle truck crash

A dozen cows were killed and a truck driver and his family were injured in a crash in Saguache early Thursday.

Saguache is located in the northern part of the San Luis Valley about 150 miles southwest of Colorado Springs.

The crash happened at around 3:15 a.m. at the intersection of Colorado Highway 114 and US 285.

Colorado State Patrol says the truck, which was loaded with 60 head of cattle, was northbound on 285 and lost control on a curve. The truck and trailer rolled once.

The driver, Seth Smith, 31, of Skull Valley, Arizona suffered serious injuries and was flown to a hospital in Denver. Smith’s wife, Brittney Smith, 28, and their children, ages 8 and 3, were asleep in the truck’s sleeper cabin. Brittney Smith suffered serious injuries and was flown to a hospital in Pueblo. The children suffered less serious injuries and were taken to Rio Grande Hospital in Del Norte.

State Patrol says excessive speed is believed to have been a factor in the crash.

Smith was hauling the cattle from Arizona to Greeley, in northern Colorado.