Collision with semitrailer kills Jeep driver in Montezuma County

Crash closes U.S. 491 for four hours

An Arizona man was killed Monday morning when his Jeep collided with a semitrailer on U.S. Highway 491 near Lewis, the Colorado State Patrol said in a news release.

About 9:38 a.m., a purple 1992 Jeep Cherokee was southbound on U.S. 491 near milepost 41 and County Road Y when it crossed the centerline and collided with a white Freightliner semitrailer, CSP said.

The Jeep and 53-foot-long semitrailer came to rest on the side of the highway and closed the roadway for four hours. Traffic was detoured.

The driver of the Jeep, identified as Timothy Schrader, 55, of Marble Canyon, Arizona, was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck driver, Gordon A. Fitzhugh, 59, of Brigham City, Utah, sustained minor injuries.

Speed, alcohol or drugs were not considered factors in the crash, which is still under investigation, said the news release from Trooper Jeffrey Chmielewski.