Cause of Fire Sought After Colorado Crash Kills Three

Colorado state troopers have asked engineers to examine why a fire erupted after a head-on collision west of Durango that killed three people and left two others with serious burns.

The Durango Herald reports engineers from Toyota and from an insurance company are expected to investigate the aftermath of the March 22 collision between a Toyota SUV and a Chevrolet pickup.

Authorities say the Toyota driver, Robert McDonald of Colorado Springs, and his 10-year-old son died. Also killed was the pickup driver, identified by investigators as former Farmington, N.M., police officer David James Hooper.

McDonald’s wife, Leslie, and their 12-year-old son survived with burns over 60 percent of their bodies. She is hospitalized in Albuquerque, N.M., and he is hospitalized in Salt Lake City.

Investigators say the pickup crossed the centerline.