Two injured in collision at West Y

Two injured in collision at West Y

June 16, 2001

RESCUE PERSONS WORK to extricate a 69-year-old Arizona woman from the wreckage of her Geo Tracker Thursday afternoon at what is known as the West Y intersection, the junction of highways 666 and 160, in Cortez. The intersection is known to be confusing, particularly to visitors, and has been discussed as a site for possible redesign.

by Aspen C. Emmett
Journal Staff Writer

One month to the day since the Colorado Department of Transportation met with Montezuma County officials about the hazards of the West Y intersection near Burger King, an Arizona woman passing through the crossroads of Colorado Highway 160 and 666 made a costly mistake that landed her in the hospital Thursday afternoon.

Julie Risser, 69, of Apache Junction, Ariz. was northbound on 666 in her small Geo Tracker and attempted to cross Main Street to continue on 666 but collided head-on with a one-ton Ford pickup, according to Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane.

Risser had to be extricated from her vehicle and was transported by ambulance to Southwest Memorial Hospital, where she was treated for multiple contusions and a bilateral forearm fracture. She was admitted into the intensive-care unit and was listed in stable condition Friday afternoon, according to a hospital spokesperson.

Jay Cruzan, 27, of Cortez and his wife, Candy Cruzan, 28, who were in the westbound truck, suffered minor injuries, Lane said. Candy Cruzan was treated at the hospital for a sprained neck and released shortly after the crash. Jay Cruzan did not require medical attention.

Risser was cited for failure to yield at a yield intersection, Lane said.

During a Colorado Department of Transportation meeting May 14 in Cortez, discussions centered around the West Y intersection, with participants deeming it "confusing" and "dangerous" with a need for reconstruction.

The intersection was identified as a candidate for "eighth-pot" funding — approximately $100 million allocated by the Colorado General Assembly for highway projects that normally might not get done.

Lane said that although he was not involved in the meeting, he believes the West Y is a safety problem and should be improved.

"It’s a bad intersection," Lane said. "It’s especially bad for people who are from out of town and aren’t familiar with it."

Neither local nor state CDOT officials were available Friday for comment on the possibility of reconstruction of the West Y.