Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE — Two people were spared serious injury Thursday afternoon, despite spinning and rolling off of U.S. Highway 50.

Colorado State Patrol Cpl. Duane Larson said that Steven Moore, 25, of Grand Junction, was behind the wheel of a 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Shelly Anders Higgins, 31, also of Grand Junction, as a passenger.

The accident occurred when the eastbound vehicle reached mile post 109 near Cerro Summit, approximately 14 miles from Montrose. While going downhill on the curve, the Jeep went off the right side of the road, rotated counter-clockwise, traveling 367 feet. Larson said Moore overcorrected and the vehicle skidded broadside across the highway for 107 more feet before going off the left side of the road for more than 17 feet and striking the guardrail at an estimated speed of 63 mph in the 50 mph zone.

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Larson said the Jeep then traveled nearly 100 feet down a grassy embankment and rolled one and one half times before coming to rest on its top.

Though Anders Higgins was ejected, she was only being held for observation at Montrose Memorial Hospital, Larson said, while Moore had been treated and released.

“They were very, very lucky,” Larson said.

Larson reported that neither party was wearing a seat belt. He also said alcohol was suspected in the incident, though alcohol test results were still pending Thursday evening.

Moore was cited on suspicion of alcohol offenses, speeding, careless driving causing injury and damaging a highway structure.

Comments

Kaitlyn Heichel wrote on Nov 3, 2009 2:01 PM:

" My dad was Robert Heichel and i just wanted to thank again everyone that helped looked for him. It was over 3 years ago that he died, but i will never forget him. I think about him still every single day and life without him is so hard. Thank you everyone who spent time looking for him. I wish this could have been a happy ending but life isn't fair. My dad died when i was 12 and i am now almost 16. Thank you again for everything you guys have done. Your amazing. "




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Sarah Bond wrote on Jul 13, 2009 5:31 PM:

" It really makes me sick that people lie about certain events to make themselves look better than they really are... Just to set the record straight, one of those stories is extremely false. Email me if you want the real story from the person who was actually there. "




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