A 28-year-old woman who died in a motorcycle crash Wednesday night west of Durango was identified Thursday as Ashley Cooke from Cortez.
Cooke was traveling west on U.S. Highway 160 toward Cortez when a deer darted in front of her near Hesperus, said Capt. Adrian Driscoll, with the Colorado State Patrol.
Cooke, who was not wearing a helmet, died at the scene, he said.
Cooke lived in Cortez before moving to South Dakota, and had just recently moved back to Cortez, Driscoll said.
She was driving a 2013 Harley-Davidson registered out of South Dakota.
The crash occurred about 8:30 p.m. at mile post 72.9, just east of the La Plata Highway (Colorado Highway 140) intersection.
Highway 160 remained opened, although westbound traffic was diverted to one of the eastbound lanes.
shane@durangoherald.com
