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Hesperus man fighting for life after Marvel crash

Mark Harris is in critical condition in New Mexico hospital
Mark Harris, pictured with his wife Ashlie Harris, was in critical condition Friday after being involved in a car crash Wednesday on Colorado Highway 140 west of Hesperus.

A Hesperus man was critically injured earlier this week in a crash on Colorado Highway 140 west of Marvel.

Mark Harris, 49, was driving a Toyota Sienna on Highway 140 when someone driving a pickup with a horse trailer pulled out in front of him from County Road 100, said his brother-in-law, Del Talley. The crash occurred about 11 a.m. Wednesday.

The Southern Ute Police Department, which handled the investigation, did not return repeated phone calls this week seeking details of the crash, including the name of the other driver and what citations, if any, were issued.

Harris is the father of 12 children and principal at Hermosa Middle School in Farmington, Talley said. His wife of 26 years is Ashlie Harris. They have lived in the Hesperus area for about 25 years.

Mark Harris was flown to San Juan Regional Medical Center with a broken right femur and severe head injuries. He was then taken to the University of New Mexico Hospital, where he was in stable condition Friday, Talley said.

Harris was responding to verbal commands Thursday, but he was unconscious and not responding to commands Friday, he said. A hospital spokesman said he was in critical condition Friday.

At the time of the crash, Harris was on his way to a neighbor’s house for cow’s milk, Talley said.

“He’s very selfless,” he said. “He’s always out doing something for somebody else.”

shane@durangoherald.com

An earlier version of this story misstated the model of vehicle being driven by Mark Harris.

To help

A GoFundMe site has been set up for Mark Harris, who was critically injured Wednesday in a crash on Colorado Highway 140 southwest of Durango. The site can be viewed here: https://www.gofundme.com/2caymn8.



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