Wolf Creek Pass crash claims one, injures five

ARCHULETA COUNTY, Colo.— Cortez resident Holly Buffington-Yake, 33, died early Sunday morning, Dec. 16 in a one-vehicle accident on Wolf Creek Pass. The accident occurred at 1:15 a.m.

Of the seven occupants in the vehicle, five others were injured, the driver, Richard T. Yake was uninjured.

The other passengers were juveniles, ranging in age from six to 13. Four had minor to moderate injuries, while a 10-year-old male was flown to Colorado Springs with serious injuries.

Yake was driving a 2016 Ford F-150 westbound on Highway 160 (Wolf Creek Pass) at mile marker 154.9 when the vehicle went down an embankment striking a tree, followed by a fence. The vehicle came to a rest on its wheels, facing north.

Buffington-Yake was not wearing a seatbelt; of the seven occupants only one was restrained.

The accident is still under investigation, however, drugs, alcohol or excessive speed are not suspected factors in the crash, according to Colorado State Patrol.