Durango, CO : 2 pedestrians die of injuries after Main Avenue crash on Saturday, March 18, 2017

Two pedestrians died Saturday after being hit along Main Avenue near 21st Street.

A driver in a white Chevrolet Suburban with a Texas license plate was traveling north when the vehicle jumped the curb, went through a brick barrier and between a light pole and white pickup. The vehicle came to a stop wedged between the Royal Motel and a sign, Detective Josh Newman with the Durango Police Department said. The driver has not been identified.

Both pedestrians were on the sidewalk when the SUV hit them, but they were not together, police Cmdr. Jacob Dunlop said.

Kassia Boani was walking her dog near the crash when one of the victims who was hit passed her on the sidewalk in what appeared to be jogging clothes.

She didn’t see the impact, but she heard the bricks of the barrier break.

“There was bricks flying everywhere,” she said.

It is still unknown why the driver, a man visiting from Texas, jumped the curb, Dunlop said.

The men who died have been identified, but the police are not releasing their names. Dunlop did not know if their family members had been notified.

Chief Deputy Coroner Larry Phelps said the man who died at the scene appeared to be middle-aged, Phelps said.

The man taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center was suffering from severe injuries and died at the hospital, Phelps said.

The crash happened in front of the Royal Motel between 20th and 21st streets about 4 p.m., and the area was cordoned off and traffic was backed up while police investigated.

Dunlop could not say whether the driver would face charges because the investigation is ongoing.

Source :
2 pedestrians die of injuries after Main Avenue crash