Two Colorado drivers have died this month in metro crashes involving wildlife, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Four drivers on C-470 in Highlands Ranch crashed into a moose just before 11:30 a.m. on July 11, according to a Colorado State Patrol news release.
At least one driver died in the crash, which happened on the westbound highway between University Boulevard and Quebec Street, agency officials said in the release.
Another fatal crash happened early Sunday morning on C-470 near Ken Caryl, southwest of Denver. The driver swerved to avoid a deer near Kipling Parkway, went off the road and rolled, agency officials said.
“There is no ‘off-season’ for wildlife in Colorado,” state patrol officials stated in the release. “Last year, animal-involved crashes were the third most common crash factor among all crash types.”
State patrol troopers responded to 3,573 crashes involving animals in 2024 and, as of July 17, had already responded to 1,600 this year.
More than 1,500 of the 2025 crashes resulted in property damage, 63 caused injuries and two were fatal, according to the state agency.
“Drivers in the mountain communities know to expect wildlife, but these animals can show up in more unexpected locations everywhere in our state,” Col. Matthew Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol, stated.
To avoid animal-related crashes, officials said drivers should:
- Scan roads and shoulders for movement or eye shine,
- Use bright lights at night when safe and flash lights at oncoming cars to warn of wildlife on the road,
- Not honk at wildlife in or near the road,
- Brake, if possible, and turn on the car’s hazard lights until the animal moves out of the way,
- Maintain control of the vehicle, and
- Not exceed the speed limit, which increases damage and injury in a crash.
“If you cannot stop safely, do not swerve – drive straight through. Try to hit the animal from the side, rather than from the front,” officials said.
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