Five 17-year-old boys died after their car veered off a cliff in Grand Junction, Colorado, late Saturday evening. The vehicle came to rest on a steep hillside, and emergency crews arrived around 7:45am Sunday. All five were pronounced dead at the scene.
Details of the Crash
According to the Grand Junction Police Department, the wreckage was discovered on a steep hillside. The Mesa County Coroner's Office reported that three of the teens, including the driver and front-seat passenger, were wearing seatbelts, while the other two were unbelted and ejected from the vehicle.
Investigators are evaluating whether speed was a factor. Authorities have not yet determined which teenager was driving.
Victims Identified by Family
While officials have withheld the victims' names due to their ages, family and friends have identified them as Braden Taylor, Tristan Tucker, Titus Gould, William Simms, and Tyler Martinez. Tributes and community support have poured in for the families.
A GoFundMe page for Tucker described him as “full of life, potential, and a free spirit.” He was preparing to enter his senior year of high school and was close to getting his driver's licence.
Community Mourns
Simms' sister, Emily, wrote on Facebook: “My sweet sweet baby brother and his best friends left this world too soon.” She also launched a fundraiser, adding: “Our family is heartbroken and trying to process a loss we still cannot fathom. We were all very close, and losing him so suddenly has turned our world upside down.”
A Meal Train was set up for Gould's family. His mother, Larissa Gould, changed her profile picture to a photo with her son on Monday morning. Taylor's grandfather, Calvin Wilken, shared the news, writing: “Very sad news our youngest grandson Braden 17 died in a car rollover down 5 ledges of a very steep drop off over looking the railroad tracks and the Gunnison River.”
Martinez's grandmother, Debbie Gallegos Martinez, posted: “With a heavy heart and tears rolling down my cheek my grandson was one of this [sic] boys.” Relative Angela Chris Martinez asked for prayers, writing: “Please keep our family in your prayers and prayers for the families that lost your boys, this is devastating and heartbreaking.”
The Grand Junction Police Department confirmed that its investigation into the incident is ongoing.
