State officers launched the names of the 2 Colorado Division of Transportation staff and a passenger killed after the motive force of a Jeep Grand Cherokee crashed on U.S. 6 close to Palisade on Wednesday.
Trent Umberger and Nate Jones had been transportation upkeep professionals who labored in Grand Junction, the Colorado State Patrol mentioned in a information launch Thursday.
Umberger and Jones had been fixing an indication on the aspect of U.S. 6 between Palisade and Clifton in Mesa County when the Jeep driver struck them and their parked automobile earlier than rolling. Umberger and Jones died on the scene.
A passenger within the Jeep, Kathi Ann Wallace of Grand Junction, additionally died on the scene.
Wallace was the spouse of the Jeep driver, who was handled for minor accidents and launched from the hospital, in response to Denver7. Investigators don’t consider impairment was an element within the crash.
Umberger was employed at CDOT in 2017 and in addition labored on a joint operations group that coated Vail Cross throughout the winter, state officers mentioned Thursday. Jones started working at CDOT in 2022 and was set to change into one of many first individuals to finish the company’s upkeep apprenticeship program.
“Trent and Nate had been beloved members of CDOT area 3, part 2 — remembered by their teammates as devoted to their households and the touring public and at all times prepared to help to maintain others secure,” CDOT Government Director Shoshana Lew mentioned in an announcement.
Colorado State Patrol troopers are nonetheless investigating the crash, company head Col. Matthew Packard mentioned in an announcement.
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