The Steamboat Pilot & Today

Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in Monday morning’s fatal car accident off U.S. Highway 40 near Milner, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

A 2000 Dodge minivan driven by Ukraine native Oleg Lasii left the westbound lanes of U.S. 40 at about 6:15 a.m. Monday, colliding head-on with a tree. Lasii, 22, was pronounced dead at the scene because of blunt force trauma to the head and massive internal injuries, Routt County Coroner Rob Ryg said Tuesday.

His passenger, La Jara resident Matthew Marquez, sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Yampa Valley Medical Center via ambulance for emergency surgery after the collision, Trooper Scott Simons said. No other cars were involved in the accident.

Marquez, 23, was in fair condition Tuesday at the hospital, spokeswoman Riley Polumbus said.

Lasii, who was living in Hayden, worked for a Steam­boat Springs construction company as part of a worker exchange program, and was due to return home next month.

A full investigation of the accident, as well as chemical testing to determine if Lasii was intoxicated, are still pending, Simons said. Toxicology reports should be available within a week, Ryg said.

Alcohol containers were found at the crash site, and Marquez was intoxicated at the scene, though troopers were unable to get any information from him at the time because of his injuries, Simons said.

Accident investigators determined that the car traveled 182 feet off the side of the road before colliding with the tree, 30 feet north of the highway.

— To reach Melinda Dudley, call 871-4203

or e-mail mdudley@steamboatpilot.com