As of Monday morning, nearly $4,000 has been raised on social media to help cover funeral costs for a local father killed last week in a traffic accident.
Scores of donors, ranging from $5 to $350, had pledged more than $3,800 on the gofundme.com memorial site for Timothy Hobbs as of Monday morning. The family hopes to raise $4,500 to cover funeral costs as well as medical bills for Hobbs’ 4- and 7-year old children, both injured in the accident.
“We are so thankful for all of you,” site creator Janee Buffington posted. “You all are amazing, generous and kind-hearted! Words can not express how grateful we all are.”
Hobbs, 30, of Cortez, died after his Chevrolet Tahoe hit the back of a Baker Sanitation truck on U.S. 160 just after 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 28, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The two children were transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez with serious injury. The medical conditions of the children remained unknown as of Monday morning.
“One had to be extricated, and our deputy was treating the other child until medical could get there,” Montezuma County Undersheriff Lynda Carter said Friday.
Colorado State Patrol spokesman Josh Lewis said three vehicles were involved in the accident. The eastbound sanitation vehicle had stopped while waiting to make a left turn when an eastbound Dodge van attempted to pass on the shoulder. Lewis said the eastbound Tahoe first collided into the back of the Mac truck before colliding with the Dodge.
No alcohol or drugs were suspected, said Lewis.
Carter, who directed traffic at the scene for more than two hours, said motorists were detoured at County Road 29.
Motorcyclist dies on U.S. 550
A collision on U.S. 550 just after noon on Thursday resulted in the death of a motorcyclist. Lewis said Richard Greening, 66, of DuBeque, Colo., was riding a 2003 Harley-Davidson at an excessive speed when he crossed a double center line on a blind corner, striking a 2002 Dodge pickup head-on at mile post 60, about 10 miles south of Silverton. No alcohol or drugs were suspected.
The driver of the pickup was a 48-year-old woman from Howard, a small town on U.S. 50 about 10 miles east of Salida.
The crash forced closure of Highway 550 for about an hour.
Traffic was flowing normally by 2:30 p.m., said Nancy Shanks, communications manager for the Colorado Department of Transportation in Durango.
Collision near Priest Gulch
Motorists also reported a third accident Thursday afternoon on U.S. 145, but no information was available from the state patrol. Carter confirmed the accident occurred near Priest Gulch, but no additional information was immediately available.
One motorist at the scene said a pickup truck with a horse trailer in tow lost control around a big curve. The eyewitness said the driver was airlifted from the scene after striking a tree.
Shanks said with the closure of Colorado Highway 3 for rock mitigation, an additional 8,700 drivers a day were expected to join the already-busy U.S. Highway 550/160 corridor until the project ends in November.
Shanks advised drivers “to keep their speed down, pay attention, drive defensively.”