State law enforcement arrested a man suspected of being involved in a hit-and-run crash Tuesday morning on U.S. Highway 160 east of Durango, officials said.
The hit-and-run occurred around 7 a.m. when a 2008 Toyota Sequoia drove across a center line near milepost 97, about 3 miles west of Gem Village, said Colorado State Patrol Capt. Adrian Driscoll. The Sequoia crashed into a GMC SUV driven by Melissa Van-Maanen, 50, who was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center with serious bodily injury, Driscoll said.
She was listed in “fair” condition Tuesday afternoon, said a hospital spokesman.
The State Patrol arrested Alfred Gallegos, 23, of Towaoc, the suspected driver of the Sequoia, about 9:45 a.m., Driscoll said. Law enforcement suspect alcohol and speed were factors in the crash, but charges were pending, Driscoll said.
Colorado Department of Transportation found the Sequoia at Lon’s Automotive, where Gallegos fled on foot, Driscoll said. He said Gallegos was hiding at the junkyard for about an hour before State Patrol made an arrest.
State Patrol called in a search dog around 9:15 a.m. to help look for the suspect, Driscoll said, although the canine did not find Gallegos.
Because the victim in the crash suffered serious bodily injury, Driscoll said, law enforcement will pursue felony charges.
bhauff@durangoherald.com
