COMMERCE CITY, Colo. -- Two infant boys and their father from Commerce City were killed Wednesday night in a crash that left investigators and medics shaken.

Investigators believe the driver of a Mitsubishi Eclipse tried to pass a car on the two-lane Colorado Highway 2 and when he did, he came face-to-face with a large Dodge 3500 pickup truck.

Troopers said both the pickup truck and the car swerved in the same direction and slammed into one another head-on.

Both infants, who were strapped in car seats, were thrown from the Eclipse, said Colorado State Patrol trooper Eric Wynn.

An 8-month-old boy, Jason McDonald, and his 20-year-old father, Barry McDonald, were pronounced dead at the scene. Arion McDonald, a 2-year-old boy, was airlifted to Children's Hospital where he died from his injuries.

"It is such a horrific crash," Wynn said, explaining why troopers were keeping the media about 50 yard away. "It is very difficult, we are human just like everyone else. This affects all medical staff, all emergency personnel, every responder. We hate to see any life lost whether it's a child or an adult. But we especially don't like to see any kids lose their lives."

The driver of the Eclipse -- 20-year-old Carlos Rosario-Cruz of Thornton -- was the only person in his car who survived. He was taken to Denver Health Medical Center with moderate injuries.

The truck driver --62-year-old William Hall of Colorado Springs -- was taken to University Hospital with moderate injuries.

The state patrol is investigating the cause of the crash and whether drugs or alcohol were involved, Wynn said.

The accident occurred just after at 7 p.m. on Highway 2, about a half-mile south of 96th Avenue, along the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge. Troopers shut down Colorado 2 for several hours as part of the investigation.