A 21-year-old woman was killed and a 45-year-old Milliken man faces felony charges in a head-on collision in Big Thompson Canyon on Thursday, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The man, later identified as Shane Bradley Mills, was driving a Dodge Ram eastbound on U.S. 34 near Drake around 8:30 p.m. and reportedly crossed into the westbound lanes, according to the State Patrol.
The driver of a Chrysler, a 54-year-old from Drake, veered out of the westbound lane and was able to avoid a collision with the Dodge Ram, Trooper Sherri Mendez said. However, the Dodge driven by Mills then collided head-on with a third vehicle, a Chevrolet Blazer, also traveling westbound on U.S. 34 toward Drake, Mendez.
The driver of the Blazer, a 28-year-old woman from Estes Park, and a passenger, a 20-year-old from Minnesota, were taken to a local hospital; a second passenger, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin, did not survive, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Her identity will be released by the Larimer County Coroner after her family is notified.
Mendez said the driver of the Dodge Ram did not stop immediately after the crash. Details are unclear, but Mills was arrested nearby and booked into the Larimer County Jail. Mendez said drugs and alcohol are suspected to have been involved, and those allegations are included in the charges against Mills.
Arrest records show Mills was held for investigation of charges of vehicular manslaughter (DUI), vehicular manslaughter, vehicular assault and failure to remain at the scene of an accident, as well as less serious charges of reckless driving causing death, DUI and failure to notify police of an accident.
He was informed of the charges against him in Larimer District Court on Friday, and Judge Jill Sage set bail at $100,000 – double the amount recommended by prosecutors. She said she chose the higher amount because of the “tragic nature” of the case and because he was on probation for a previous drunken driving offense at the time of the crash.
Mills is scheduled to make his first appearance in 8th District Court on Thursday.
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