Five teenage boys have been confirmed dead after the car they were in plunged off a cliff in Colorado, with police now investigating the circumstances of the accident
A devastating crash in Colorado has claimed the lives of five 17-year-old boys after their car veered off a cliff late Saturday evening in Grand Junction, roughly 245 miles from Denver.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene around 7:45am on Sunday morning after discovering the wreckage resting on a steep hillside, according to the Grand Junction Police Department. All five teenagers, who were residents of Grand Junction, were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Mesa County Coroner’s Office, three of the teens – including the driver and the front-seat passenger – were wearing their seatbelts. The other two passengers were unbelted and were ejected from the vehicle during the incident.
Investigators are currently evaluating whether speed was a factor in the crash. Authorities have not yet determined which of the teenagers was behind the wheel.
While officials have withheld the victims’ identities due to their ages, grieving family members and friends have identified the five close companions online as Braden Taylor, Tristan Tucker, Titus Gould, William Simms, and Tyler Martinez.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, tributes and community support have poured in for the victims’ families.
A GoFundMe page created for Tucker described him as being “full of life, potential, and a free spirit.” He was reportedly preparing to enter his senior year of high school and was on the verge of obtaining his driver’s licence.
Simms’ sister, Emily, confirmed her brother’s passing in a Facebook post, writing: “My sweet sweet baby brother and his best friends left this world too soon.”
She also launched a fundraiser to help her family navigate the tragedy, 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 campaign was established to support Gould’s family.
His mother, Larissa Gould, updated her Facebook profile picture on Monday morning to a photograph with her son, prompting an outpouring of condolences and supportive messages from loved ones.
Taylor’s grandfather, Calvin Wilken, shared the news of his grandson’s death alongside a photograph, 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.
“He was a passenger with 4 of his buddies, all deceased. Just a few blocks from their old house on the ridge top housing development above.”
Martinez’s family members also expressed their grief on social media. His 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 community support, writing: “Please keep our family in your prayers and prayers for the families that lost your boys, this is devastating and heartbreaking.”
Martinez’s mother, Aimee Huffman, has since shared photos featuring her late son.
The Grand Junction Police Department confirmed that its investigation into the fatal incident is ongoing.
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