The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
The Colorado State Patrol has reported this morning that one of the drivers in the three vehicle accident that occurred Wednesday afternoon a mile south of Crested Butte has been charged with three counts of careless driving resulting in bodily injury. The accident took place about 4:40 p.m. yesterday at mile marker 26 just south of Crested Butte.
The most seriously injured was airlifted to St. Mary’s hospital in Grand Junction where she remains in intensive care.
According to Colorado State Patrol trooper Josh Lewis, 52-year-old Donna Perkins of Crested Butte was in a Suzuki and attempting to make a left turn off Highway 135 into a driveway. Her stopped car was struck in the rear by a 1997 Ford Pickup driven by 47-year-old Alan Eldridge. That pushed the Suzuki into traffic heading north. A Toyota SUV struck the Suzuki. The CSP is not yet releasing the names of the 65-year-old Crested Butte male driver and the 58-year-old passenger in the Toyota.
Eldridge was wearing a seatbelt and not injured in the accident. Perkins sustained critical injuries and was transported to the Gunnison Valley Hospital and then airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction. As of 11 a.m. Thursday, a spokesperson at St. Mary’s said that Perkins was in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. The male in the Toyota sustained moderate injuries. The woman passenger sustained serious injuries. Both were transported to the Gunnison Valley Hospital.
Trooper Lewis said Eldrige was charged with the three counts of careless driving. Lewis said drugs, alcohol and speed did not appear to be a factor in the incident but there was the possibility of “distracted driving.”
We will update this post as more details become available. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in the incident.
