Seat belt saves woman in rollover

Seat belt saves woman in rollover

April 5, 2001

THIS SUBARU station wagon rolled 4 1/2 times on U.S. Highway 160/666 15 miles north of the New Mexico state line Tuesday morning. The driver escaped with minor injuries because she was wearing a seat belt.

By Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

What could have been a potentially deadly wreck resulted in only minor bumps and bruises for a Dolores woman Tuesday morning.

"She was wearing her seat belt and that’s basically what saved her," said Colorado State Trooper Steve Keller. "If she wasn’t wearing a seat belt she’d probably be looking at serious injury or death."

Keller said Trayce Lederer, 35, was westbound on Colorado Highway 160 about four miles past the Highway 666 junction at 7:45 a.m. when the front right tire of her vehicle slipped off the side of the road.

"She overcorrected and started to spin counterclockwise across the roadway for 75 feet, overcorrected again and started spinning clockwise for 56 feet before going off the left side of the road," Keller said.

"She went off the left side of the road spinning clockwise for 70 feet before rolling 4 1/2 times for 50 feet and then coming to a rest on the top."

Keller said Lederer was driving the speed limit and had not been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"I think she just took her eyes off the road for a second," Keller said.

Lederer was transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released for minor injuries, said Jenis Tucker, executive secretary of administration for the hospital.

Keller said Lederer was issued a ticket for a minor traffic violation.