DEATH TOLL NOW UP TO THREE IN FRIDAY MORNING CRASH NEAR RIFLE
Rifle—Three members of a New Castle family including two young girls were killed early this morning after the SUV they were in hit a bear on westbound I-70 near Rifle and rolled several times through the median into the eastbound lanes. Four others in the family were hospitalized with serious injuries. Garfield County Coroner Robert Glassmire says 7 year old Kimberly Hernandez and her grandfather, 63 year old Eugenio Altamirano were pronounced dead at the scene. Kimberly’s big sister, 15 year old Brizeyda Hernandez died at Grand River Hospital in Rifle. The girl’s parents, grandmother and brother also sustained injuries but their conditions are unknown at this time. Emergency rooms at Valley View Hospital and Grand River were utilized. According the Colorado State Patrol, the crash occurred just before 5 o’clock this morning when their Chevy SUV hit the bear and sent the vehicle into a violent rollover around mile marker 89 between the Rifle and West Rifle exit. Eastbound I-70 was closed for nearly six hours this morning and was reopened just before 10 o’clock.
