An 18-year-old Bayfield man was killed late Wednesday when the vehicle he was driving ran off Colorado Highway 140 and hit a tree at Breen.
The accident occurred at 10:40 p.m. about one-tenth of a mile south of the intersection of Highway 140 and Wildcat Canyon Road (County Road 141).
Austin Potthoff, who was not wearing a seat belt, suffered head injuries and was partially ejected from his 1995 Jeep Cherokee, Colorado State Patrol Trooper Jonathan Silver said.
Potthoff is the son of La Plata County Sheriff’s Deputy Barrett Potthoff.
A 17-year-old passenger in the front seat was not injured. He was using a restraint.
Speed was not a factor in the accident, Silver said. The incident report says the possibility of marijuana use is suspected.
The passenger said Potthoff followed Wildcat Canyon Road to Highway 140 and turned left on the way to visit relatives.
Almost immediately, a deer attempted to cross the highway.
Potthoff’s Jeep hit the deer, ran off the right side of the highway and continued into a stand of trees, the passenger said.
The Fort Lewis Mesa Fire Protection District was dispatched to the scene, Silver said.
daler@durangoherald.com
