A 5-year-old girl was found alive more than 30 hours after a single-vehicle crash along a Colorado highway left two adults dead.
In a press release shared with PEOPLE on Wednesday, May 6, the Colorado State Patrol said the fatal accident likely occurred on May 1, around 6 a.m. local time.
That morning, 25-year-old Devante Griffin, from Farmington, N.M., was driving a blue Chevrolet S10 east on Highway 160 when the truck rolled off the south shoulder of the road just east of Bayfield. The vehicle “came to rest on its roof after rolling an unknown number of times,” officials said, noting that the accident “was not visible from the roadway.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(749x0:751x2):format(webp)/child-rescued-colorado-crash-3-050626-9ba7ddeeaf994b70b31367b773e45fd7.jpg)
The aftermath of the deadly car accident along a Colorado highway.
Colorado Highway Patrol
Just over 30 hours later, on May 2, around 12:35 p.m., officials responded to a report of a vehicle that had been in a rollover crash on the highway near milepost 104. When first responders arrived, they discovered Griffin and a passenger, identified as 24-year-old Klariza Tarango, who were both pronounced dead at the scene.
However, a third occupant in the truck, a 5-year-old girl, was found alive and transported to an area hospital. Per the authorities, she has since been released after being treated for injuries resulting from the crash.
In a Facebook update posted on May 5, the Upper Pine River Fire Protection said, “Saturday‘s discovery of a fatal car crash is both a tragedy and a miracle” for the little girl.
“It weighs heavily not only on our crews but for the family and the public who have suffered a loss, expressed their condolences and offered their prayers,” the fire department added.
According to the Colorado State Patrol, an investigation into the accident is ongoing. “At this time, impairment and excessive speed are not being investigated as factors leading to this crash,” the state patrol said. “No charges are expected to be filed in this case.”
