Three killed including two CDOT workers in crash on Colorado highway

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) – Three are dead after a driver hit and killed two Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) employees working on the side of the road before crashing the car on Wednesday, the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) said.

CSP troopers said the crash happened at around 10:40 a.m. on westbound Highway 6, between Palisade and Grand Junction when the driver of a Jeep Grand Cherokee struck two CDOT employees and a parked CDOT vehicle.

The two CDOT employees, who were working to fix a street sign, were killed on scene. A passenger in the car also died. Deputies believe this passenger to be the driver's wife.

The only person who made it out of the crash alive was the driver, CSP said, who was taken to the hospital with minor injuries and later released.

"I’m heartbroken by this horrible accident, and my thoughts are with the families of the individuals, CDOT and the communities," Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said a statement Wednesday afternoon. "These Coloradans will be missed by their state, families, and communities. I speak for the entire state when I say that they will be missed.”

CSP is still investigating the cause of the crash, but has confirmed the driver was not in the lane they were supposed to be in. Troopers say impairment is not suspected to be a factor.

Colorado law requires drivers to slow down when passing emergency vehicles or public utility vehicles, such as CDOT cars, parked on the side of the road. The Mesa County District Attorneys' Office is now evaluating the potential of criminal charges, as violations of that law become felonies when they result in death.