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Investigation into crash that killed Colorado state senator could take weeks, authorities say

© Andranik Hakobyan - iStock-1437277148

Sara Wilson
(Colorado Newsline)

It could take at least several weeks for authorities to determine the cause of the car crash that killed Colorado state Senator Faith Winter last week, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office said Monday.

Winter, 45, was killed in one of two crashes that occurred close to one another on Interstate 25 near Dry Creek Road around 6 p.m. on Nov. 26. One crash involved two vehicles and the other involved three. It is unclear which one Winter was in.

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Colorado State Senator Faith Winter

Colorado State Senator Faith Winter © Colorado Newsline

Three people were transported to a local hospital, while Winter was pronounced dead on the scene, the sheriff’s office said in a news release Monday.

The office’s traffic safety unit is now conducting a full accident reconstruction.

“The process is detailed and complex, particularly when injuries or fatalities occur, or when multiple vehicles, commercial vehicles, potential criminal charges, or unclear circumstances are involved,” the release said. “Investigators are actively interviewing drivers, passengers, and witnesses, and the analysis may take several weeks or longer to determine how and why the crash occurred.”

Reports from the county’s coroner’s office, such as an autopsy, could take up to six weeks.

Winter, a Broomfield Democrat who served 11 years in the state Legislature, is survived by her son Tobin, 16, and daughter Sienna, 14. She was engaged to former state Representative Matt Gray, also a Democrat.

Winter helped advance significant policy related to transit, environmental concerns and family leave.

There will be a memorial for Winter at the Colorado Capitol at 2:00 p.m. on Friday.