By David Grant Long and Katharhynn Heidelberg

A 12-year-old Mancos girl was killed Friday evening while trying to cross a Mancos intersection that has been the scene of three other traffic deaths in recent years.

Kiley Duran

Kiley Duran, a sixth-grader at Mancos Middle School, was struck by a westbound 1999 Dodge 2500 pickup truck shortly before 6 p.m. while she was attempting to get to the north side of U.S. Highway 160 at its intersection with Colorado Highway 184, according to Detective Lt. Kalvin Boggs, a spokesman for the Montezuma County Sheriff’s Department.

"According to her mom, Kiley was just going to cross the road to go a couple houses down 184 to play with a friend," Boggs said Monday. "Apparently there was a vehicle that blocked her view of westbound traffic.

"Several witnesses said that Kiley waited for a while, kind of trying to time it," Boggs said, "and then darted out into traffic —it was an unavoidable accident.

"It was with great force that she was struck," he added.

Duran suffered massive internal injuries when she was hit by the front of the truck and thrown 70 feet though the air, Boggs said. Duran was pronounced dead after being taken to Southwest Memorial Hospital.

Boggs said the driver of the pickup, Larry Cecil Wright of Cortez, was found not to be at fault and was not cited for any traffic violation. Wright’s truck was traveling an estimated 40 mph, 10 mph under the speed limit on that stretch, Boggs said, and he was driving directly into the setting sun, which may have impaired his vision.

Additionally, the view of the victim may have been obstructed by a westbound vehicle that was turning left onto Main Street from U.S. Highway 160 in front of Wright’s truck, Boggs explained, and Duran may not have seen the truck behind it.

Duran’s death marks the fourth traffic fatality in the past decade at or near the intersection, which has been the topic of recent meetings between Mancos officials and the Colorado Department of Transportation to discuss safety improvements.

It is the hope of Kiley Duran’s family that her accident will be a catalyst for change at the intersection.

Sherri Duran, Kiley’s mother, came to the Journal office Monday and said, "[We] really hope something can be done" about the intersection where her daughter died. She said family friends are the driving force behind the citizen protest concerning the roadway that is planned for today.

She gave the impression she would be especially grateful for support in getting a traffic signal installed, and also mentioned her hope of seeing a pedestrian overpass built sometime soon.

At Mancos Middle School, where Kiley was in the sixth grade, she was remembered Monday as an athlete and a musician with creative flair.