A California man and his daughter were sent to the hospital in Colorado Tuesday after a hit-and-run collision that local sheriffs are now investigating as a criminal incident. The accident took place at Keystone Ski Resort at the bottom of two intersecting trails. The unidentified man who collided with the victims was reportedly riding a ski bike behind the pair, first running over the daughter and then her father before riding off. Both went to the hospital for their injuries and the daughter was treated and released while her father remained in critical condition in a Denver-area hospital, according to a report from Summit County Sheriff’s Office late Wednesday.
“This catastrophic collision, resulting in devastating injuries, evolved into a criminal event once the unidentified person fled the scene without identifying himself or seeking aid,” the release reads. “The law specifically states that no skier involved in a collision with another skier or person in which an injury results shall leave the vicinity of the collision before giving his or her name and current address to an employee of the ski area or a member of the ski patrol, except for the purpose of securing aid for a person injured in the collision; in which event the person so leaving the scene of the collision shall give his or her name and current address after securing such aid. Neither of which occurred in this instance.”
According to Colorado’s Ski Safety Act, any person who leaves the premises of an accident without securing aid and providing information is considered guilty of a Class 2 petty offense, which carries a fine of no more than $1,000. While that sounds like a slap on the wrist when local police are investigating the offense as a “criminal incident,” the Act outlines the unidentified culprit will be subject to some pretty clear and obvious civil actions. Beyond that, collisions like this can lead to deadly consequences. In 2021, for example, a collision between a snowboarder and a skier in Colorado resulted in the death of the skier before a medivac helicopter could arrive on the scene.
In the meantime, the local sheriff’s office is encouraging those who might have witnessed the accident to help with any identifying information by calling 970-668-8600.
