BY DAVID GRANT LONG

A Cortez man died in a one-car crash on Highway 145 early Wednesday when he lost control of his SUV and was thrown out when it hit a tree, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

Roland McDonald, 41, was pronounced dead at the scene of head and internal injuries, according to Trooper David Van Bibber, who said there was no evidence that speed or alcohol were factors in the accident.

Two witnesses spotted McDonald’s wrecked 1995 Chevy Tahoe off the road 10 miles north of Dolores about 7 a.m. and went to a nearby residence to call 911, Van Bibber recounted. The accident had apparently happened some time in the previous hour. The car’s engine was still running when he arrived a short time later, Van Bibber said.

McDonald had been heading north when the vehicle’s right wheels drifted off the edge of the pavement, Van Bibber explained. It appeared he overcorrected, crossed into the oncoming traffic lane, then went into a spin that flipped the vehicle onto the driver’s side and sent it careening into a tree.

McDonald, who was not wearing a seat belt, according to Van Bibber, was ejected though a side window during the crash and suffered fatal injuries from the impact with the window and the ground.