Inset: Manuel Alejandro Lorenzana Villegas (GoFundMe). Background: The aftermath of the fatal plow crash in Colorado that claimed the life of Manuel Alejandro Lorenzana Villegas (Colorado State Patrol).
A tragic accident occurred in Colorado when a snowplow driver collided with a van transporting a girls’ hockey team, sending the vehicle tumbling down an embankment. The crash resulted in the death of a father, who was driving the van, and left several children injured. The police have attributed the accident to careless driving on a slick interstate.
The driver, identified as 29-year-old Colton Wiedman, is now facing serious charges, including one count of careless driving causing death, four counts of careless driving leading to serious injuries, three counts of causing bodily harm, and failing to maintain his lane.
The Colorado State Patrol released these charges in a statement on Thursday, distributed to Law&Crime, just over two months after the fatal crash that took the life of 38-year-old Manuel Alejandro Lorenzana Villegas, a father from California. Wiedman, at the time of the incident, was reportedly operating a snowplow for the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The crash involved multiple vehicles, including a CDOT plow, a sprinter van carrying the youth hockey team from California, and two other passenger vehicles, as detailed in the CSP announcement.
Initial findings from the investigation, shared by the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s Office on January 29, indicate that Wiedman lost control of the snowplow while traveling westbound on Interstate 70, causing it to crash into the median.
“The plow truck traveled through the median, breaking through the cable rail and into the eastbound lanes,” the sheriff’s office said. “The plow collided with a Toyota Tacoma that was traveling eastbound in the eastbound lanes. After impact, the Toyota went through the median and struck a BMW traveling westbound in the westbound lanes.”
Wiedman’s plow continued eastbound and struck the sprinter van as it was traveling eastbound in the eastbound lanes, per the sheriff’s office. “After the impact, the sprinter van ended up down an embankment,” the office said. “The CDOT plow came to rest on the shoulder.”
The crash unfolded just before 9 a.m., according to CSP officials. One child was reportedly airlifted to the hospital in critical condition, while four children and three adults were also hospitalized with lesser injuries. The youths were part of the 12AA Lady Flyers hockey family, which released a statement about the crash on Instagram.
“Our 12AA Lady Flyers hockey family was involved in a tragic accident,” the statement said. “While traveling to Colorado for what was meant to be a joyful and exciting tournament, their lives were changed forever. Now, their moment of anticipation has become a frightening ordeal. Families find themselves far from home, focused not on the game they love, but on grieving the loss of one of their own and in need of returning to the safety, care, and comfort of home.”
The team added, “Words cannot express the heartbreak we are experiencing. Please hold these families in your prayers.”
A GoFundMe launched for Villegas’ family after his death describes him as “a hero and the epitome of what an amazing man, father, partner and friend should be.” He worked as a tattoo artist and owned the Rare Hearts Tattoo Club in Woodland Hills, Calif.
“He is a father, an artist and a family man,” a description says on the shop’s website.
Wiedman is scheduled to be arraigned on May 5 in Clear Creek County, according to online court records.
