FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A driver died after crossing into on-coming traffic in Fort Collins in the early hours of Wednesday morning, Fort Collins police said.
Just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday, officers with Fort Collins Police Services responded to a two-vehicle crash along the 2900 block of S. Timberline Road. When they arrived at the scene, they found two heavily damaged vehicles — a 1989 Cadillac sedan and a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee — in the southbound lanes.
The driver was the only person in the Cadillac and two men were inside the Jeep. All three were extricated by Poudre Fire Authority firefighters and were transported to a hospital, police said.
The Cadillac driver was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The Larimer County Coroner will release his identity, as well as cause and manner of death, at a later date.
Based on the investigation, police believe the driver of the Cadillac was headed northbound on S. Timberline Road, crossed into on-coming traffic and collided with the Jeep, which was headed southbound.
Southbound S. Timberline Road was closed at Custer Drive for about five and a half hours while investigators worked around the scene.
The Fort Collins Police Collision Reconstruction and Scene Handling (CRASH) Team is handling the investigation.
Police said they are "investigating if the use of illegal drugs were involved by the driver of the Cadillac."
“While the factors regarding the cause of the collision are still under investigation, we implore roadway users to not drive under the influence of any impairing substances," said Sgt. Mike Avrech, who oversees the Fort Collins Police CRASH Team. "Driving impaired can lead to devastating crashes and is completely preventable."
Anybody with information about the crash is asked to call Officer Matt Brede at 970-221-6842.
