Reese Allen Killed in Garfield County Car Accident
Wrong-way collision on Interstate 70 claims life of 18-year-old Silt resident
Reese Allen, 18, of Silt, was killed early Sunday when a wrong-way driver struck her SUV head-on on Interstate 70 in Garfield County, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The westbound collision occurred around 2:45 a.m. as a Subaru traveling east in the westbound lanes crashed directly into a GMC Yukon attempting to pass a Peterbilt semi-truck. The impact forced Allen's Yukon into the semi's trailer. Both the 18-year-old and the 17-year-old driver of the Subaru were pronounced dead at the scene. The 35-year-old semi-truck driver was not injured.
The coroner's office confirmed blunt force injuries as the preliminary cause of death.
The crash remains under investigation.
The crash adds to a rising toll across the state, where the Colorado Department of Transportation reported 684 traffic deaths in 2024.
Why did the Subaru enter the wrong lanes on I-70?
Investigators are working to determine where the 17-year-old driver entered the westbound lanes of Interstate 70 traveling in the wrong direction.
In wrong-way car accidents such as this, crash reconstructionists examine highway on-ramps, signage visibility, and toxicology reports to understand how the driver bypassed traffic controls.
Candice Bond, managing partner at Bond Legal, said, "Documenting exactly where vehicles came to rest and how debris scattered across the roadway helps explain the final moments before a deadly wrong-way collision occurs, since physical evidence often fades quickly or gets cleared away within a matter of hours."
"Serving as an advocate, an attorney frequently works to secure photographs, measurements, and detailed reports early, before conditions change and important details get lost forever," added Bond, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News.
How common are wrong-way crashes on Colorado highways?
Wrong-way collisions represent some of the most severe incidents on interstate corridors due to the combined speeds of the vehicles involved.
While the cause and liability of a crash are being investigated, families who lose loved ones in head-on car accidents often face immediate challenges dealing with insurance adjusters and preserving critical evidence.
Colorado wrongful death statute
Under C.R.S. § 13-21-201, surviving family members may file a wrongful death action. Colorado applies modified comparative fault (50% bar). The statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of death.
Recoverable damages may include loss of financial support, loss of companionship, funeral expenses, and net pecuniary loss.
"Forensic investigators carefully map out tire friction marks, vehicle gouges, and scattered debris fields to calculate exact impact speeds and travel trajectories," said Stefano Formica, of counsel at Bond Legal.
Formica, who is also a national legal analyst for Accident News, noted, "Having strong legal representation ensures independent reconstruction specialists can access the crash scene early, verifying official police reports and uncovering details that law enforcement might have missed."