TheDenverChannel.com










Denver News
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters

Father, Two Kids In Car Seats Killed In Head-On Crash

CSP Believes Eclipse Was Trying To Pass Cars On Two-Lane Highway 2

POSTED: 10:08 pm MDT July 20, 2005
UPDATED: 11:43 am MDT July 21, 2005

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

Colorado State Patrol troopers described the crash scene as "horrific." (See More Images)

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.

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
Learn the top five signs of common mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. More

To get the most out of your remodel, check out these 10 home updates that have the biggest payoffs when it comes time to sell your home. More

Find out what a sputtering economy and an increasingly difficult to crack job market means to you. More

Curious about what homes near you are in foreclosure? Want to be notified when a home enters foreclosure? Get all of that and more here. More

MyReport Network

E - News Registration focus group
  My Report Network: Tell your story on 7NEWS. Sign up to be a member of our My Report Network
Sponsored Links

MyReport Network

E - News Registration focus group
  My Report Network: Tell your story on 7NEWS. Sign up to be a member of our My Report Network