Three related collisions snarled Monday morning commuters near Walmart on South Camino del Rio.
One person was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center with unknown injuries, and another driver drove herself to the hospital, said Lt. Ray Shupe of the Durango Police Department.
An initial wreck contributed to two other crashes as drivers slammed into the accident scene.
All three collisions occurred on the highway’s northbound lanes shortly before 8 a.m. during the busy morning commute:
The first wreck occurred at 7:53 a.m. near 1100 South Camino del Rio, just before the turnoff to Colorado Highway 3.
A 2002 Ford Explorer rear-ended a 2003 Audi stopping in traffic. The Explorer then pushed the Audi into a 2008 Dodge Durango, Shupe said.
The Explorer’s driver, 42-year-old Alfredo Ramirez of Durango, was cited for careless driving.
In short order, all three vehicles were hit again by a 1996 Dodge pickup driven by Chance Styer, 24, of Durango. He was also cited for careless driving.
Then, as police and firefighters worked to clean up the mess, a 2013 Subaru driven by Dillon Casto, 22, of Durango, rear-ended a 2004 Jeep SUV just south of the Walmart intersection. Casto was cited for following too close.
Alcohol and drugs are not believed to have contributed to the wrecks, Shupe said. Speed and following too closely in traffic led to the collisions, he said.
He cautioned commuters to drive attentively and slow down through the busy corridor during the morning commute.
“Pay attention when you’re going through there at 8 in the morning,” he said. “It gets very congested with the school traffic and all the other traffic turning into Walmart.”
cslothower@durangoherald.com
