A 34-year-old Ouray man died in a two-vehicle accident on U.S. Highway 550 south of Ridgway last night, which is still under investigation.
Alixzander Thomsen was driving the Dodge Caravan, headed toward Ouray, when the crash occurred with a Ford F-350 truck pulling a trailer, headed the opposite direction on the highway near Orvis Hot Springs, near mile marker 103.
Details from the preliminary investigation show Thomsen’s vehicle drifted into the oncoming lane of traffic, according to Colorado State Patrol Trooper Sherri Mendez.
The driver of the Ford truck swerved to try to avoid the accident, and the front of the van collided with the flatbed trailer the truck was pulling, Mendez said.
The preliminary accident report shows Thomsen was not wearing a seat belt and his two passengers were also not wearing seat belts.
Two others in the van were injured in the accident, a 12-year-old girl who was transported in a helicopter for medical treatment, and a 74-year-old woman who was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
The Ouray County Coroner’s office will have an autopsy performed, with toxicology testing, as part of the investigation into the accident and Thomsen’s death.
Several serious accidents on U.S. Highway 550 in the past year have prompted residents to request safety changes and more frequent patrols.
