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April 26, 2001
By Aspen C. Emmett Faulty bicycle brakes may have been the primary cause of a car-bike collision that took the life of a 10-year-old Cortez boy Tuesday evening, according to Colorado State Trooper Steve Nowlin. The fourth-grader, Mikel Gragert, was transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital at about 6:30 p.m. and died there two hours later from massive head injuries. He was not wearing a helmet. According to Nowlin, Gragert and a 9-year-old friend were riding bicycles in an industrial-park area near the crossroads of county roads 25 and L. He said they had just come off of a hill onto a private gravel driveway when Gragert’s bicycle brakes failed, shooting him out into the northbound lane of Road 25, Lebanon Road. "The 10-year-old apparently tried to stop," Nowlin said. "His brakes weren’t working very well and he went past his friend and into the road." Gragert flew onto the road at a blind spot and collided with an oncoming car driven by 16-year-old Richard Talbot. "He (Talbot) couldn’t avoid it," Nowlin said. The driver had not been driving irresponsibly, the trooper stated. "There were no skid marks... and looking at the bicycle, the brakes were defective on it. It doesn’t mean it didn’t have any — they just weren’t properly adjusted," Nowlin said.
Montezuma County Sheriff’s Deputy Daniel Pope arrived on the scene moments after the accident, and along with Talbot, administered first aid until paramedics arrived. Nowlin said Gragert was transported to Southwest and was to be airlifted to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Junction, but the extensive injuries took his life before he could be transported. "It’s just a real tragedy for everyone — for the family, for the 16-year-old driver, Mr. Talbot, for the witnesses that were there, for the doctors in the ER — for everybody," Nowlin said. Talbot and two passengers, Star Stephens, 16, and Renee Talbot, 18, were uninjured. "The driver did everything he could. He stopped right there and helped the best he could. There aren’t any violations of any laws anywhere on either part," Nowlin said. At Gragert’s school, Kemper Elementary, students spent Wednesday morning addressing grief issues, said Principal Howard Culp. "At our disposal we had all the counselors of the district. We began the day with a meeting with staff and personnel," Culp said. "After all of the students were in the classrooms, each of the teachers in their own way began addressing the loss of Mikel. "The counselors were available for all the students. We of course have to spend as much time as we need to in that one classroom where Mikel was a student. "We have some very fine professional people on board and they did a wonderful job for us," Culp said. He said students and staff shared their fond memories of Gragert throughout the day and over recess. "He really liked outdoor activities," one student told Culp. Gragert’s PE teacher emphasized to Culp the boy’s athletic abilities and said he had been looking forward to a district track meet. "He was really athletic and that was something he was really looking forward to," Culp said. Gragert’s teachers described him as "very creative," with a high interest in science. "He would do additional projects in class just because he loved science. He was a hard worker. All around, he was just a good kid," Culp said. He said Gragert’s family has plans to set up a memorial fund for Gragert and that the school would be making a donation in the boy’s memory. "It’s just devastating," Culp said. "It’s just tragic when children die in such a horrible way." Funeral services will be held Friday at the Lighthouse Baptist Church beginning at 10 a.m. Gragert is survived by his parents, James and Mary Gragert of Cortez. |
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Copyright © 2001 the Cortez Journal.
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