A Colorado snowplow driver has been charged following a crash in January that killed the driver of a van carrying a youth hockey team and injured eight others. Colton Wiedman, 29, faces charges including careless driving causing death, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The crash occurred on 29 January on Interstate 70 near Herman Gulch. Investigators said Wiedman lost control of his Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow westbound, crossed the median and crashed through a cable rail into eastbound traffic.
The plow first struck a Toyota Tacoma, pushing it into a BMW. The snowplow then hit a Sprinter van carrying the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers, a California-based girls' hockey team travelling to a game. The van's driver, Manuel Alejandro Lorenzana Villegas, the father of one of the players, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Seven passengers were taken to hospital by ambulance, including four children and three adults. One girl was airlifted with critical injuries. Wiedman was unhurt, as were the occupants of the two other vehicles.
Wiedman faces charges of careless driving causing death, four counts of careless driving causing serious bodily injury, three counts of careless driving causing bodily injury, and failure to drive in a designated lane. The first three are misdemeanours; the final is a traffic violation.
The department confirmed Wiedman was placed on administrative leave after the crash and is handling the matter according to state rules.
