Colorado State Patrol has identified those involved in a deadly January 29 crash on Interstate 70 that affected members of the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers hockey team. The incident, which claimed one life and injured eight others, occurred when a snowplow lost control east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel. Despite the tragedy, the team went on to win their league championship days later.
On the morning of January 29, a snowplow driven by 29-year-old Colton A. Weidman of Littleton lost control just east of the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel complex on I-70 in Colorado. The vehicle crossed from westbound into eastbound lanes, colliding with a Ford Transit van carrying players and supporters of the Santa Clarita Lady Flyers, a California-based girls' hockey team, as well as a Toyota Tacoma driven by Daniel J. Eckert of Silverthorne and a BMW X1 driven by Roland C. Balkenede of Denver. A 65-year-old female passenger was also in the Tacoma.
The van's driver, 38-year-old Manuel Alejandro Lorenzana-Villegas—a father of one of the players—was the sole fatality. Eight injuries occurred, all among the van's occupants: four juveniles have been released from medical care, two adults remain in serious condition, one adult is in fair condition, and details on an eighth individual initially airlifted from the scene have not been disclosed.
The Santa Clarita Lady Flyers demonstrated remarkable resilience, playing through the tragedy to secure the Western Girls Hockey League championship on February 1. The crash is under ongoing investigation by the Colorado State Patrol's Vehicular Crimes Unit, with no further details on contributing factors released yet.
This incident underscores the risks faced by traveling sports teams, particularly during winter conditions in mountainous regions like Colorado.
