Accident under investigation



By ERIC MULLENS

ALAMOSA — A 28-year old Colorado State Patrol Trooper remains in serious but stable condition at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver following a single vehicle traffic accident that occurred shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday near the Colorado Veterans’ Center at Homelake.

Trooper Ryan Hafner suffered injuries in a single vehicle accident at 8:50 p.m. Saturday while he was searching a county road in Rio Grande County for a suspected drunk driver. CSP Captain George Dingfelder said Hafner and Trooper Mark Parson were in the eastern end of Rio Grande County when they were notified of a REDDI (Report Every Drunk Driver Immediately) report called in by a civilian.

Hafner was northbound on RGC Rd. 3E, and may have lost control of his patrol car, 2008 Crown Victoria, on the curve at the southern end of the small lake. The high powered patrol car left the roadway and hit a power pole guide wire. The cruiser went down the embankment of the lake but stopped short of entering the water.

Trooper Parson was seeking the same suspect vehicle on Hwy. 160 at the time of Hafner’s accident and according to Dingfelder, he was on scene within minutes of the crash.

Hafner was transported by ambulance initially to San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center and later Saturday night was flown to the hospital in Denver where he remained Monday afternoon listed in serious but stable condition.

Dingfelder said federal patient privacy laws prohibited the CSP’s public information office from releasing further details of the trooper’s condition.

Hafner is married and the father of four children; his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Dingfelder said Hafner had not been interviewed by investigators yet and had no information regarding the cause of the accident. It is not known if the trooper may have seen taillights he believed may have been the suspect vehicle, or lost control on the curve due to any other reason. “We do know he had not called in a pursuit,” Dingfelder said.

The trooper’s vehicle was towed to an impound lot in Monte Vista and Dingfelder said it was destroyed in the accident. The vehicle that was subject to the citizen’s report was not located.



DUI crash

investigated Monday



LA JARA — A 20-year old Alamosa man faces a number of charges related to an early morning crash on the south side of La Jara.

Derek Martinez, 20, has been charged DUI, reckless driving, underage consumption of alcohol and no proof of insurance

The state patrol indicated Martinez was northbound on Colo. Hwy. 285 at a high rate of speed, estimated in excess of or near 90-mph, in a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am, when he went off the left hand side of the roadway and collided with a utility pole located in the parking lot of the Catholic church at about 3:40 a.m. Monday.

CSP Captain George Dingfelder said, “This is the third time in the past two months that intoxicated drivers have hit that specific pole at the church. Maybe the hand of God is putting a stop to these people who chose to drink and drive.”

Martinez was transported to San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center in Alamosa for treatment of minor injuries.