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The book has been closed on the fatal August 10 crash that claimed the life of former Villager Hector Quezada. What remains in the aftermath of the single-car rollover are a roadside memorial, heartbroken family and friends and plenty of “what ifs.”
Those include: What if the foursome of golfers, who also included locals Ryan Williams, Brandon Howard and Moses “Mo” Mogollon, had decided to take the bus home, rather than get into Howard’s Isuzu Trooper? What if someone other than Quezada, who was considered a habitual traffic offender, took the wheel that evening? According to coroner Michael Ferrara, Quezada’s blood alcohol content exceeded the state limit of .08 (the toxicology report determined a 0.13 level); there was also evidence of cocaine and pot in his system.
After a week of interviews, the Snowmass Village Police Department ruled that the victim was indeed driving the speeding vehicle that rolled on Owl Creek Road just across from the town shop. The 33-year-old died from “blunt trauma.”
“Hector was definitely the one behind the wheel,” said Sgt. Brian Olson. “There’s no information we received to indicate anyone else was driving.” He went on to say that the “absolute clincher” in determining the facts is that “one of the occupants (of the Trooper) sent a text message (to a friend who was contacted about giving the foursome a ride) that said they were on their way and Hector was driving.”
The message was received at 7:20 p.m. on August 10, about five minutes before the accident, Olson said.
Witness testimony from three people – other than the passengers – also helped police make that key determination. While police are going to retain the forensic evidence from the crash, which includes a steering wheel and stick shift – “items that could present some latent fingerprints” – they have no immediate plans to send that to the state’s bureau of investigations, Olson said.
Roadside memorial
Last weekend, Quezada’s family, including his father and children, visited the fatal scene. There they erected the cross and laid flowers on the memorial.
Olson said that Hector’s niece “is working on a project to prevent drunk driving.” He suggested that perhaps something positive would come of the tragedy.
A memorial was held August 18 in Glenwood Springs; employees of the Silvertree Conference Center, where Quezada worked, also held their own services last week.
No criminal charges will be filed against the other three occupants of the Trooper. Olson said that even though Mogollon left the scene of the accident, there were reasons behind his actions.
During a series of interviews it became apparent “he was really distraught and didn’t know what to do. (Mo) just walked away from the scene, flagged a ride and went to his house. There was never an attempt to hide that he was a passenger. That was his (way of) coping with the circumstances,” Olson said.
The police department also doesn’t expect that any changes will be made to the speed limit in that section of Owl Creek Road, which is 35 mph.
“There’s no doubt in our mind that they were speeding,” Olson said. That’s based upon witness testimony as well as “the rubber marks left on the road.” The Trooper may have been traveling 50 mph on the steep hill below Sinclair Divide, he said.
“Speed was a condition and so was alcohol, impairment in general,” he said.
Olson and others hope that the flower memorial on lower Owl Creek Road will serve as a reminder to people of the hazards of drinking and driving: “I hope everyone that drives by that cross is reminded of this situation that caused that accident.”
While friends were unable to pick the foursome up from the Aspen Golf Course on that fateful day, Olson said that if they had called the police department it’s possible that someone would have made the trek to come get the men. He did add this caveat that sometimes the local cops are criticized for helping out repeat offenders yet “We are always there to do that if someone gets in a pinch.” By the same token Olson noted that “the bus goes right by (the golf course) and it’s free.”
Madeleine Osberger’s e-mail address is mosberger@snowmasssun.com
Those include: What if the foursome of golfers, who also included locals Ryan Williams, Brandon Howard and Moses “Mo” Mogollon, had decided to take the bus home, rather than get into Howard’s Isuzu Trooper? What if someone other than Quezada, who was considered a habitual traffic offender, took the wheel that evening? According to coroner Michael Ferrara, Quezada’s blood alcohol content exceeded the state limit of .08 (the toxicology report determined a 0.13 level); there was also evidence of cocaine and pot in his system.
After a week of interviews, the Snowmass Village Police Department ruled that the victim was indeed driving the speeding vehicle that rolled on Owl Creek Road just across from the town shop. The 33-year-old died from “blunt trauma.”
“Hector was definitely the one behind the wheel,” said Sgt. Brian Olson. “There’s no information we received to indicate anyone else was driving.” He went on to say that the “absolute clincher” in determining the facts is that “one of the occupants (of the Trooper) sent a text message (to a friend who was contacted about giving the foursome a ride) that said they were on their way and Hector was driving.”
The message was received at 7:20 p.m. on August 10, about five minutes before the accident, Olson said.
Witness testimony from three people – other than the passengers – also helped police make that key determination. While police are going to retain the forensic evidence from the crash, which includes a steering wheel and stick shift – “items that could present some latent fingerprints” – they have no immediate plans to send that to the state’s bureau of investigations, Olson said.
Roadside memorial
Last weekend, Quezada’s family, including his father and children, visited the fatal scene. There they erected the cross and laid flowers on the memorial.
Olson said that Hector’s niece “is working on a project to prevent drunk driving.” He suggested that perhaps something positive would come of the tragedy.
A memorial was held August 18 in Glenwood Springs; employees of the Silvertree Conference Center, where Quezada worked, also held their own services last week.
No criminal charges will be filed against the other three occupants of the Trooper. Olson said that even though Mogollon left the scene of the accident, there were reasons behind his actions.
During a series of interviews it became apparent “he was really distraught and didn’t know what to do. (Mo) just walked away from the scene, flagged a ride and went to his house. There was never an attempt to hide that he was a passenger. That was his (way of) coping with the circumstances,” Olson said.
The police department also doesn’t expect that any changes will be made to the speed limit in that section of Owl Creek Road, which is 35 mph.
“There’s no doubt in our mind that they were speeding,” Olson said. That’s based upon witness testimony as well as “the rubber marks left on the road.” The Trooper may have been traveling 50 mph on the steep hill below Sinclair Divide, he said.
“Speed was a condition and so was alcohol, impairment in general,” he said.
Olson and others hope that the flower memorial on lower Owl Creek Road will serve as a reminder to people of the hazards of drinking and driving: “I hope everyone that drives by that cross is reminded of this situation that caused that accident.”
While friends were unable to pick the foursome up from the Aspen Golf Course on that fateful day, Olson said that if they had called the police department it’s possible that someone would have made the trek to come get the men. He did add this caveat that sometimes the local cops are criticized for helping out repeat offenders yet “We are always there to do that if someone gets in a pinch.” By the same token Olson noted that “the bus goes right by (the golf course) and it’s free.”
Madeleine Osberger’s e-mail address is mosberger@snowmasssun.com
