DELTA COUNTY, Colo. — Westbound Highway 50 near Starr Nelson Road was fully reopened Saturday afternoon after an early-morning investigation into a pedestrian death closed the roadway for several hours.
The series of 9-1-1 calls began at 4:53 a.m. when Delta County dispatchers received a report of a body in the westbound lanes just west of Delta. Deputies from the Delta County Sheriff’s Office and officers from the Delta Police Department confirmed a deceased individual was in the roadway and shut down the highway at G50 Road.
At 5:06 a.m., a 19-year-old male driver called Grand Junction Regional Dispatch, reporting he believed he had struck someone on the same stretch of highway. Colorado State Patrol (CSP) troopers responded and assumed the lead investigation through the agency’s Vehicular Crimes Unit.
Investigators determined the pedestrian had been hit in the middle of the left westbound lane and subsequently struck by multiple vehicles. Two motorists, including the 19-year-old caller, remained on scene and cooperated with troopers; evidence suggests at least one additional vehicle may also have been involved.
CSP documented evidence for roughly seven hours before reopening all lanes shortly after 1 p.m. Traffic returned to normal by early afternoon.
The victim’s identity and the circumstances that placed the pedestrian on the roadway remain under investigation. Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to contact the Colorado State Patrol Dispatch Center at 970-249-4392, reference case 5C250787.
Mesa County CSP dispatch (agency assist to Delta):