Teens injured in multiple rollover crash

Mike Peters, (Bio) mpeters@greeleytribune.com
April 10, 2008

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A Greeley teenager was injured and will receive a ticket for reckless driving from an incident late Tuesday when he tried to pass another car, swerved to miss a head-on collision, and rolled it three times.

The one-car rollover occurred about 7 p.m. Tuesday near the intersection of Colo. 257 and Weld County Road 54, north of the Johnstown-Milliken area.

The Colorado State Patrol identified the driver as Christopher Ruiz, 17, of Greeley. He was taken to North Colorado Medical Center by MedEvac helicopter. His passengers were also 17 and both from Greeley: Derrick Padilla was taken to the hospital by ground ambulance, and Armando Martinez was not injured in the crash.

The medical conditions on the two injured teens were not released by hospital officials.

The state patrol reported Ruiz's 1992 Nissan Maxima was eastbound on Weld County Road 54, traveling about 70 miles-per-hour in a 55 mph zone, and started to pass a car on a double yellow line.

Another car came from the opposite direction, and Ruiz swerved to avoid hitting the car head-on. He lost control of his vehicle, swerved into a roadside ditch and rolled three times, coming to rest on its top.

The teens were not wearing their seatbelts, according to the patrol reports, and the driver and front seat passenger were thrown out of the car.

Drugs or alcohol were not listed as factors in the crash.