Five 17-year-old boys died after their car veered off a roadway and plunged off a cliff in Grand Junction, Colorado. Two of the occupants were ejected from the vehicle during the crash, according to authorities.
The Grand Junction Police Department and Mesa County Coroner’s Office reported that the crash occurred late Saturday on Lookout Lane. Emergency responders discovered the wrecked vehicle and the five victims around 7:45 a.m. Sunday, and all were pronounced dead at the scene.
While authorities have not released the victims' names due to their age, family and friends have identified them as Braden Taylor, Tristan Tucker, Titus Gould, William Simms, and Tyler Martinez. Those who knew the teens described them as full of life and potential. GoFundMe pages have been established to support the families of Tucker and Simms with funeral costs and other expenses. A meal train was also created for the Gould family.
According to Calvin Wilken, Taylor’s grandfather, the car went down a steep drop-off overlooking railroad tracks and the Gunnison River. He confirmed his grandson was a passenger with four friends, all of whom died in the crash. The teens were residents of Grand Junction.
Authorities are investigating speed as a potential factor in the incident. The coroner's office stated that three of the vehicle's occupants, including the driver and the front-seat passenger, were wearing seat belts. The two who were not wearing seat belts were ejected.
The Grand Junction Police Department issued a statement expressing their condolences, emphasizing their connection to the community. "For the men and women of the Grand Junction Police Department, it has always been about the people we serve…because you’re more than members of our community," the department stated. "You’re our neighbors, our friends, and our family."