A head-on collision Thursday afternoon on Cortez’s Main Street caused minor injuries, according to initial police reports.
The two-vehicle crash involved a Jeep from Utah and a Ford Escape SUV and occurred in front of First Southwest Bank at 2:15 p.m. Westbound traffic was slowed and reduced to one lane as emergency crews worked at the scene.
According to Cortez Police reports, Jaymis Lee, 26, of Montezuma Creek, Utah, was traveling eastbound in a Jeep and crossed over into the westbound lane, crashing head-on into the Ford Escape. Lee reported that his steering wheel had begun shaking and contributed to the sudden veering into the wrong lane. He was cited for careless driving and driving an unsafe vehicle.
An airbag deployed in the Ford Escape, and the driver was transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital due to an hand injury. Crews cleaned up spilled vehicle fluids where the vehicles came to a rest in the median.
The Cortez Police Department, Cortez Fire Protection District, Montezuma County Sheriff and Southwest Health System ambulances responded to the scene.
