A Durango woman who was hit by a car while walking her dog on Animas View Drive was in critical condition as of Monday afternoon, according to the Durango Police Department.
The crash was reported about 7:45 p.m. Thursday in the 1200 block of Animas View Drive, near the United Campgrounds of Durango, just south of the Red Cliff Apartments.
The woman who was hit was identified as Katie Marie Siegrist, 27.
Police believe Siegrist was walking north on Animas View Drive when a black 1987 Jeep Wrangler traveling the same direction struck her from behind, said Durango police Cmdr. Deck Shaline.
Police are unsure of Siegrist’s exact location on the road as it relates to lines on the road. She was reportedly wearing dark clothing with no reflective material and no flashlight or lighting device, Shaline said.
Animas View Drive is a narrow road with almost no shoulders and no lighting.
“At this point, there are no known independent witnesses to the crash,” Shaline said in an email to The Durango Herald.
The vehicle was being driven by Olivia Marie Burkhart, 66, of Durango.
“The driver indicated she did not see the pedestrian until the last second,” Shaline said.
Neither drugs nor alcohol are suspected to have played a role in the crash, he said.
No charges have been filed against Burkhart.
“It was reported to be raining at the time of the crash, and this section of Animas View (Drive) is dark and not lighted,” Shaline said. “Currently, there is no probable cause to issue criminal charges in this incident.”
Pam Collum, who lives along Animas View Drive near the campground, was walking north on the northbound side of the road Monday.
Collum hadn’t heard about the recent crash, but she said she is not totally surprised that something happened.
She said drivers often speed on the road, and there is no shoulder or sidewalk for pedestrians. She wishes there were more 25-mph speed limit signs posted along the road, and police would patrol it more often to get drivers to slow down.
“It’s dark out here at night,” she said. “ … I’ve seen people go through here probably 45 to 50 (mph).”
A spokeswoman at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Grand Junction confirmed Siegrist was in critical condition Monday afternoon.
The dog she was walking was uninjured.
shane@durangoherald.com
