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Victims of two highway accidents identified

Separate incidents occurred near Cortez, Molas Pass
In an accident Thursday on U.S. Highway 160 just west of the Montezuma County Fairgrounds, Timothy Hobbs, 30, of Cortez was killed, and two boys, ages 4 and 7, were taken to the hospital.

The Colorado State Patrol has identified the two people killed in separate highway accidents Thursday, one south of Molas Pass on U.S. Highway 550 and one two miles east of the Cortez city limits on U.S. Highway 160.

The accident on Highway 550 took the life of Richard Greening, 66, of DeBeque, a town about 25 miles east of Grand Junction, State Patrol Trooper Josh Lewis said today.

Greening, who was southbound on a 2003 Harley-Davidson, had just crossed two sets of double-yellow lines on a bad curve to pass a vehicle when he lost control of the Harley, crossed the center line again and struck a northbound 2002 Dodge pickup driven by Carla Gillespie, 48, of Howard, a small town on U.S. Highway 50 about 10 miles east of Salida.

Greening, ejected from his motorcycle, was pronounced dead at the scene. Gillespie was not injured.

The accident occurred about 12:18 p.m. just south of Molas Pass.

In the Highway 160 accident involving three vehicles, Timothy Hobbs, 30, of Cortez was killed. Two boys, ages 7 and 4, who were with Hobbs, were injured and taken to Southwest Memorial Hospital in Cortez.

Lewis said he didn’t know if the boys are related to Hobbs. Their names were not released.

Montezuma County Undersheriff Lynda Carter, who directed traffic at the scene for more than two hours, said the medical conditions of the boys were unknown as of Friday morning.

“One had to be extricated, and our deputy was treating the other child until medical could get there,” Carter said.

Hobbs was driving a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe.

The second vehicle was a Dodge van driven by Ronald Bulleigh, 72, of Glendale, Arizona. He had a passenger, Janet Bulleigh, 69, of the same address. Neither was hurt.

The third vehicle was a Mack truck driven by Eugene Brinkerhoff, 45, of Mancos. He was not injured.

The accident occurred at 3:55 p.m. just west of the Montezuma County Fairgrounds.

Brinkerhoff was stopped eastbound waiting to turn left into a business, Lewis said. The Bulleigh van was trying to pass Brinkerhoff’s truck on the shoulder when the Hobbs vehicle plowed into the rear of the truck, Lewis said.

It’s not clear how it occurred, but the Tahoe also hit the Bulleigh van, Lewis said.

Hobbs was pronounced dead at the scene. He and his two passengers appear to have been using proper restraints, Lewis said.

Alcohol, drugs and speed were not in involved, Lewis said. No citations were issued.

daler@durangoherald.com. The Cortez Journal contributed to this report.



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