Charges have been filed in the case of a Feb. 15 crash outside of Pagosa Springs that killed two.
According to 6th Judicial District Attorney Sean Murray, the charges against Justin McCelvey, 37, of Texas, include two counts of extreme indifference murder (a Class 1 felony), two counts of vehicular homicide (a Class 3 felony), one count of vehicular assault (a Class 4 felony), DUI (a misdemeanor), and illegal possession or consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle (a traffic infraction).
Arrest charges in the case did not include the counts of extreme indifference murder. At a bond hearing in front of Archuleta County Court Judge Justin Fay, it was indicated the driver was alleged to have been traveling at a high rate of speed prior to the accident, though his then-attorney argued that was alleged to have taken place some time before the incident.
McCelvey’s bond was increased to $1 million at that hearing and he was remanded into custody.
McCelvey, who is again out on bond, appeared virtually in front of 6th Judicial District Chief Judge Jeffrey Wilson alongside his attorney, Jeffrey S. Pagliuca, on Monday afternoon for the filing of charges.
McCelvey’s charges stem from a two-vehicle crash that took place on U.S. 84, near milepost 18 (near Pagosa Springs) at 5:29 p.m. on Feb. 15.
According to a press release from the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), a 2021 Ford F250 was northbound on U.S. 84 when it moved into the southbound lane where a 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer was traveling. The Trailblazer moved into the northbound lane and then the Ford F250 returned back into its original lane, colliding with the Trailblazer.
The Trailblazer, the press release notes, was pushed northbound and hit the guardrail on the northbound side of the road. The Ford F250 traveled into the southbound lane, colliding with the guardrail on the south side of the highway.
The driver of Trailblazer died at the scene, according to the CSP. The back-seat occupant of the Trailblazer, a child, was transported to an area hospital and pronounced dead.
The front-seat passenger of the Trailblazer was transported to an area hospital with serious injuries, according to the press release.
