Louis Michael and Leoba Valdez die in fatal Ouray County car crash
Fatal Ouray County car crash death of Louis Michael
Ouray County, Colorado, law enforcement has confirmed the identities of those killed in two separate accidents on U.S. 550, which transpired on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Ouray County Coroner’s Office provided the names.
Coroner R. Glenn Boyd detailed that the occupants of the automobile on Red Mountain Pass were Louis Michael, a 42-year-old from Farmington, New Mexico, and Leoba Valdez, a 79-year-old from Aztec, New Mexico. Their car overturned after traveling 320 feet down the incline and came to rest in the river. A child was also in the vehicle and was taken to a hospital with severe injuries, though there have been no recent updates on her condition.
Boyd also stated that the driver in a two-vehicle accident near Colona who did not survive was Tyler Smith, a 40-year-old from Montrose. The passenger in Smith’s car was transported to a hospital with injuries that are serious or life-threatening. The other car’s occupants only sustained slight harm.
The causes of death are described as being under examination, pending the results of autopsies and toxicology tests.
Boyd further conveyed his sympathy to the family, friends, and relatives of Michael, Valdez, and Smith, acknowledging the emotional strain of this tragic time.
The Colorado State Patrol is now investigating both incidents.
Separately, a third accident took place on Highway 550 on Thursday, and while another crash was noted on Red Mountain Pass, no details were given for that event. The driver in the latest collision suffered only minor physical damage.
