A crash Wednesday afternoon between an SUV and a semitrailer closed U.S. Highway 491 for nearly two hours after the SUV driver was ejected and seriously injured.
The crash occurred south of Stotz Equipment and County Road N around 3:20 p.m. and led to a partial closure from about 3:40 p.m. to 5:40 p.m., according to an emergency alert from Montezuma County.
A northbound Chevrolet Trax crossed into the southbound lane and hit the left side of a Freightliner Cascadia semitrailer, Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Ivan Alvarado said.
The Chevrolet rolled several times and landed in a northbound ditch. The driver, a 20-year-old Cortez man, was ejected, indicating he was not wearing a seat belt, Alvarado said.
The driver was taken to Southwest Memorial Hospital with serious injuries. The semitrailer’s occupant, a 61-year-old Utah man, was not injured.
Neither alcohol nor excessive speed appear to be factors, Alvarado said. Charges will depend on the outcome of the investigation, he said.
