A man was killed in a car-versus-dump truck accident Monday at the intersection of South Camino del Rio and the eastern Frontage Road, near the front of Nature’s Oasis.
His identity was not released Monday night pending notification of next of kin.
“We’re not certain yet as to who’s at fault,” said Durango Police Department Officer Ron Wysocki. “We’ve gotten conflicting information.”
The man was driving a blue Honda Accord southbound and turning left onto the Frontage Road near Nature’s Oasis when his vehicle was broadsided by a northbound dump truck owned by M. Leeder Construction, Wysocki said. The two vehicles came to rest in the acceleration lane coming out of the Frontage Road onto the U.S. Highway 550/160 corridor.
The crash was reported at 2:39 p.m.
“There were no other injuries,” Wysocki said. “We were able to keep the lanes pretty much open.”
The left-turn traffic signal at that time of day begins with a green, or protected arrow, said Nancy Shanks, a spokeswoman for the Colorado Department of Transportation. Then it changes to a permissive, or flashing yellow light, allowing drivers to turn if there is a long enough interval in traffic, before turning solid yellow and then red. The sequence changes at the times of day when there is a surge in traffic.
Witnesses to the accident are asked to call Detective Trish Hutchens at 375-4733.
abutler@durangoherald.com
