LOVELAND, Colo. — The driver accused of causing a crash that killed a toddler on Interstate 25 on Tuesday was allegedly under the influence and has been charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and other charges.
Jose Salazar, 35, was identified as the suspect, according to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP).
Around 12:27 p.m. on Tuesday, CSP responded to a crash involving four vehicles, including a box truck, on northbound I-25 at Crossroads Boulevard.
Shortly before this crash, a driver had pulled to the side of the road due to a medical emergency. The crash involving the four vehicles was a secondary crash to this one. Aside from the two crashes happening at the same location, exact details of how this secondary crash happened are not available.
Two adults and one minor were in a 2018 Lexus GX in the secondary crash and were transported to a hospital. One minor from that vehicle died at the scene, CSP said.
Nobody from the two other cars — a 2022 Kia Telluride and a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado hauling a trailer — were injured.
Based on the preliminary investigation, CSP determined that the driver of the box truck had been in the center lane and the Lexus was in the right lane. The Kia and Chevrolet were north of those two vehicles. The driver of the box truck veered into the right lane, struck the Lexus and pushed the car into the Kia and Chevrolet, CSP said.
The driver of the box truck was identified as Salazar. He was arrested on the following charges:
- Child abuse (acted recklessly resulting in death to a child)
- Vehicular homicide (while driving under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs or both, such conduct was the proximate cause of a death to another person)
- Vehicular homicide (operated a motor vehicle in a reckless manner which was the proximate cause of death of another person)
- Vehicular assault (while driving under the influence of alcohol or one or more drugs or both, such conduct was the proximate cause of serious bodily injury to another person)
- Vehicular assault (operated a motor vehicle in a reckless manner which was the proximate cause of serious bodily injury to another person)
- Tampering with physical evidence of a felony crime (destroyed, mutilated, concealed, removed, or altered physical evidence)
The loved ones of the deceased toddler have created a GoFundMe to support the family of the victim, identified as 17-month-old Elijah Manley.
The crash remains under investigation.
