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Major accident near Hesperus sends 1 to hospital

Box truck and Toyota Tundra collide
Fort Lewis Mesa and Durango fire protection districts, Colorado State Patrol and La Plata County Sheriff’s Office responded to a two-vehicle accident Friday afternoon on U.S. Highway 160, just west of Hesperus Ski Area.

Emergency services responded Friday to a serious crash between Hesperus and Mancos Hill.

It occurred around 1:30 p.m., Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Chris Balenti said.

The crash took place in the 9000 block of U.S. Highway 160, about ¼-mile west of Hesperus Ski Area. Balenti said a 2006 Toyota Tundra, driven by Frederick Yazzie of Durango, and a 2005 GMC box truck, driven by John Moore, also of Durango, were both eastbound, with the Tundra, traveling faster, behind the truck.

Balenti said the vehicle impact points were on the passenger-side rear of the truck and the driver’s-side front of the Tundra. The box truck ended up on the north side of U.S. Highway 160 and the Tundra on the south side.

The Tundra also caused property damage when it went through a fence.

A helicopter was requested from Flight For Life, then was canceled after all parties were found to be alert and conscious. The driver and passenger from the box truck and the driver of the Tundra received minor injuries. One person was transported to Mercy Regional Medical Center, Balenti said. Mercy spokesman David Bruzzese said they had no record of either Moore or Yazzie being treated late Friday evening, so the Herald was unable to check the condition of the patient.

Traffic was slow but continued to flow most of the afternoon. The highway was closed later in the afternoon with the help of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Colorado State Patrol Capt. Adrian Driscoll said, so tow trucks could remove the vehicles. The highway reopened at about 5 p.m.

Any citations are pending.

Fort Lewis Mesa and Durango fire protection districts, the La Plata County Sheriff’s Office and the Colorado State Patrol all responded.

abutler@durangoherald.com

Because of incorrect information received by the Herald, the names of the two drivers in the accident were switched in the original story. John Moore was driving the box truck, and Frederick Yazzie was driving the Toyota Tundra.



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