Alcohol and speed are the likely factors that led to a crash that killed a 25-year-old Bayfield woman earlier this month, said La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith.
Around midnight Jan. 4, authorities received a report of a single-vehicle crash near the 4400 block of County Road 318, about 22 miles southeast of Durango and 6 miles west of Ignacio.
Authorities discovered a 2011 Ford Edge that had gone off the west side of the road, hit an abutment and flipped.
Kathryn Sharif was the only occupant in the vehicle, Smith said. She was pronounced dead on scene.
On Wednesday, a toxicology report was completed that showed Sharif’s blood-alcohol content was 0.257 – about three times higher than the legal limit of 0.08.
Colorado State Patrol Capt. Adrian Driscoll said excessive speed is also considered a factor in the crash.
Smith said it appears Sharif was on her way home from work in Bayfield. She was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.
Sharif’s obituary says she lived in Southwest Colorado for about four years. She spent most of her life in Maryland.
“Kathryn was a vivacious free spirit and her laughter could fill a room,” the obituary said. “She loved to have fun with her family and friends and appreciated nature, music, the arts, all animals and especially her dog Jake. She will be dearly missed.”
jromeo@durangoherald.com
