A driver reportedly hit and killed two people who were trying to repair their car on I-25 near Castle Rock Wednesday, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Colorado State Patrol responded to a call-for-help at 10:30 p.m. from four Aurora residents whose car had broken down on northbound I-25 near Castle Rock.
The trooper talked with two of them near the car, which had a missing tire. He told two people outside the car to get back in for safety reasons.
As the trooper walked away, a car swerved onto the shoulder and hit the two people, killing them instantly. The trooper was not injured.
After hitting the two people, the vehicle hit a guardrail and stopped. Investigators arrested driver Michelle Branch, 47, after she was taken to the hospital to be checked for injuries. Authorities said they suspected the driver was impaired at the time of the crash.
Branch was booked into the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office jail on suspicion of two counts of vehicular homicide.
“Two lives ended due to one person’s choice to selfishly get behind the wheel while impaired,” Chief of the Colorado State Patrol Matthew C. Packard said in a news release. “This tragedy is another example of people failing to act responsibly, failing to make a plan for a sober ride, and failing to drive within their designated lane.”
According to Colorado State Patrol, 21.6% of fatal crashes investigated from January to July were caused by drivers outside of their designated lanes and 18% were caused by impaired drivers.
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