Two men were killed Thursday afternoon in a high-speed, single-vehicle crash on Colorado Highway 141 west of Norwood in San Miguel County.
According to the Colorado State Patrol, driver Larry Chachko and passenger Michael Mroz, both of Illinois, died at the scene of the crash at mile marker 41 in Dry Creek Basin.
Chachko lost control of a 2022 Porsche 911 while driving west at an estimated 160 mph, reported Sgt. Nathan Lyons.
According to the incident report, about 4 p.m. the vehicle vaulted off a rise in the roadway, crashed off the south side of highway, hit a roadside ditch and fence, then flipped an undetermined number of times. It landed 1,243 feet from the point where control was lost and 103 feet off the road.
Chachko, 43, was ejected, and Mroz, 38, was retained in the vehicle. No alcohol or drugs are suspected, Lyons said.
The men were participants in the Crown Rally event, a luxury sports car tour across the West that raises money for charity. The group was on its second leg of their trip from Beaver Creek, Colorado, to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The crash was “one of the most horrific” ever seen by deputies, the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.
“I am terribly sorry these two men were killed in what was a preventable accident,” stated Sheriff Bill Masters. “And I don’t appreciate what amounts to reckless and intentional disregard for the people of our county. They could have killed an innocent motorist. Crown Rally needs to rethink what they’re doing out on the roads.”
In a statement on its Facebook page, Crown Rally said the deaths have “left our community heartbroken” and that the men were big supporters of the charity event.
Event founder Justin Brouwer stated that safety is the utmost importance of the rally community.
The post reminded participants to drive safely and lawfully between each location and be considerate toward others on the road. Safety protocols are outlined during registration, at morning meetings and within other physical, digital and verbal communications.
In honor of the men, Crown Rally stated the group would continue “our journey celebrate their lives and all they have done for others.”
After Santa Fe, the rally continues on to Scottsdale, Arizona, and Las Vegas, ending at the Spring Mountain Motor Resort, a private track.
