Colorado cliff crash kills five Grand Junction teens

The Colorado cliff crash that killed five Grand Junction teenagers has shaken a Western Colorado community just as students are heading back to class. Authorities said the five 17-year-old friends died after their vehicle left Lookout Lane late Saturday, went over the edge and plunged down a steep hillside outside Grand Junction.

Police said the wreck was not reported until about 7:45 a.m. Sunday, when dispatchers received a call that a vehicle may have gone off a cliff. Responding police officers and firefighters later found the vehicle along the hillside. The Mesa County Coroner’s Office said three of the teens, including the driver and the front-seat passenger, were wearing seat belts. The other two were not buckled and were ejected. All five died from injuries suffered in the crash. Investigators said speed is being looked at as a possible factor, but authorities have not publicly identified the driver or said what caused the vehicle to leave the road.

The Colorado cliff crash has drawn a strong response from families and neighbors who say the loss has hit hard across Grand Junction. The coroner’s office said it would not release the boys’ names because of its policy against publicly identifying minors. Even so, loved ones have identified the victims and shared tributes as the town begins the school year carrying this loss. One of the teens was Braden Taylor, whose grandfather, Calvin Wilken, confirmed his death in a Facebook post. Wilken described Braden as his youngest grandson and said he died in a rollover crash down a steep drop-off overlooking the railroad tracks and the Gunnison River. A GoFundMe for Braden’s parents said the family is now facing funeral expenses while trying to cope with his death.