Automobile Accidents

• Man Charged in Motorcyclist Hit-and-Run Death

  Staff Writer | August 09, 2006 11:34 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  According to the Denver Post, police have arrested a man accused of killing a motorcyclist in a hit and run accident. Gregory M. Rutschman is in jail, charged with crimes such as vehicular homicide, and drunk driving. Rutschman, early Tuesday morning, ran a red light on South Kipling Street and collided with the motorcycle. The motorcyclist, Kevin A. Vanwyk, was stuck under the vehicle and...

• Chrysler Recalls Liberty SUV

  Staff Writer | August 06, 2006 11:33 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  According to the AP, Chrysler announced the recall of over 800,000 Jeep Liberty SUVs because of the possibility of drivers losing steering control. This comes as the automaker has received over 100 reported problems, some of which resulted in injury. This follows a recall on more than 300,000 Liberty vehicles in 2003, due to problems with the front suspension. Liberty owners will receive recall...

• Van Hits Toddler While Backing Up

  Staff Writer | July 19, 2006 5:20 PM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  According to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel, a van hit a young boy as it backed out of the driveway on Monday, July 17. The child was initially knocked unconscious, but regained consciousness when he arrived at the hospital. The extent of his injury is still unknown. Police have indicated they may file charges against the driver, contingent upon a full investigation.

• Motorcycle Collides with Truck

  Staff Writer | July 18, 2006 5:21 PM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  The Daily Sentinel reported that a man from Grand Junction received serious injuries when his motorcycle collided with a truck on July 17. As the motorcyclist, Daniel Emert, drove down South Avenue, a truck making a left from Fourth Street onto South Avenue crashed into his vehicle. Unfortunately, Emert was not wearing his helmet, and while he seriously injured, his current condition is unknown....

• Council Approves Higher Ambulance Fees

  Staff Writer | July 17, 2006 8:59 AM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  The Daily Sentinel reported that the Grand Junction City Council will increase charges to patients for ambulance service from $582 to $781 depending upon the degree of care required. This is an increase of approximately $250. According to officials, the fee increase is necessary in order to avoid substantially increasing the cities cost for ambulance service.

• Alcohol May be Factor in Crash

  Staff Writer | July 16, 2006 8:58 AM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  According to the Grand Junction Sentinel, a driver who crashed his SUV into a duplex may have been intoxicated. Early Wednesday morning, Kevin Pickering driving 60 mph crashed into the duplex, knocking the frame from the foundation. None of the people in the home reported any injuries.

• Drivers Using Cell Phones May Be as Dangerous as Drunk Drivers

  Staff Writer | July 07, 2006 11:12 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

• State Patrol Targets Tailgaters

  Staff Writer | July 06, 2006 9:36 AM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  The Colorado Springs Gazette reported on the continued efforts by the Colorado State Patrol to reduce motor vehicle accidents by using a new technology to identify tailgaters. A new radar gun has the capability not only to identify driving speed but to also detect the space between two cars. In Colorado, the tailgating law is that drivers must leave one car length for every 10 miles per hour....

• Metal-Laced County Roads Blow Tires And Minds

  Staff Writer | April 20, 2006 3:43 PM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  If you've blown some tires recently driving along Geary Dome Road near Casper, you're not alone. Natrona County paved the road with gravel from the demolished Amoco refinery site in Casper, but Amoco failed to remove bits of metal from the crushed concrete. The bits of metal are ruining tires, and the county is now trolling the road with a magnet donated by Amoco, trying to pick up the bits of...

• SUVs Not Living Up to Whiplash Standards?

  Staff Writer | April 18, 2006 9:40 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  My colleague in Cheyenne, William Simpson, has a great post about SUV headrests failing whiplash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety did a study that found:Seats and head restraints in big SUV sellers like the Ford Explorer, Toyota 4Runner and Chevrolet TrailBlazer rated poor, as did the Chevy Silverado pickup and some seats in the Ford F-150 and Dodge Dakota pickups.