Montrose - Daily Press

MONTROSE — Thomas Boylan Sr., missing since Oct. 20, was the victim of a crash on Red Mountain Pass, his family said in an e-mail to the Daily Press.

According to Jeanne Boylan, her father failed to negotiate a sharp curve on the pass. Ironically, she said, it was at the same spot where her parents had their honeymoon pictures taken 62 years ago.

Boylan's distinctive 1990 Suburban plunged from mile marker 90 on Highway 550 to the bottom of a ravine, where passersby could not see it. The Colorado State Patrol report said the vehicle rolled nearly 400 feet down the embankment.

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Trooper Darel Reed said the vehicle was barely visible. "You had to be looking really hard. It's hard to see," he said.

Additionally, the ravine has other cars from other crashes that have not been recovered, Reed said. Drivers who lose control at that spot are likely to hit either the cliffside, or roll down the embankment.

Reed was not immediately certain who had located Boylan's vehicle.

"Though the wait was excruciating and the hunt was hard, I am grateful beyond words to have been so deeply and profoundly reminded of what an exceptional town we grew up in," Jeanne Boylan said.

"The town my father had so purposely chosen to raise his children in, where values still matter, where people still reach out when they know you need a hand, where friends come through when they know you're in pain, and where we don't forget our common experiences.

"A town where the term "love thy neighbor as thyself" has just been proven to be taken literally. 

"Thank you Montrose, for being what you've always been, a town with a heart, a soul and a place that my father and my family will always will be so very proud to call 'home.'"

Word of a fatal accident on the pass surfaced Thursday night. Police officials were not able to confirm Boylan's death at the time.

You can read more about this incident, including Jeanne Boylan's full letter, in tomorrow's Daily Press. Any significant updates will be posted online as they are received.

(This story was first posted at 7:09 a.m. Friday. It was updated with more information from the CSP at 7:45 a.m.)

Comments

school friend with Jeanne Carol Salazar Stollsteimer wrote on Nov 7, 2009 10:57 AM:

" Iwrote A comment earlier, I just wanted Jeanne to know even though she has moved away she still has friends that remember her from school, and my heart goes out to her in her time of sadness. I'm sure her friends from school will remember her. I am asking that you post my earlier comment.
Thank You
Carol "




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CAROL STOLLSTEIMER SALAZAR wrote on Nov 7, 2009 9:55 AM:

" Jeanne,
I'm so sorry about your dad! Please accept my condolences. My prayers are with you and your family. "




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Pam Ron wrote on Nov 6, 2009 7:22 AM:

" Our condolences to the family. May your grief be lessened knowing that the whole town loves you and shares your loss. "




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Ariel wrote on Nov 6, 2009 7:16 AM:

" I am so sorry to hear about your families loss. I know how hard it can be to find out but it brings that sense of closure that you need. I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers. "




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