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One killed, two seriously injured and one arrested after crash in Chaffee County

Posted at 9:22 PM, Jul 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-18 23:22:56-04

The Colorado State Patrol arrested a man suspected of driving under the influence of prescription drugs and killing another driver in Chaffee County Wednesday afternoon.

Troopers closed Highway 24 through Chaffee County and Park County for hours after the crash happened around 2 p.m. Wednesday. 

Troopers arrested 70-year-old Thomas Waale from Denver after they say he was responsible for hitting a car and a motorcycle, killing a 68-year-old passenger in the car.

CSP said Waale was driving a 2010 Ford Expedition westbound on Highway 24 when he drifted into the eastbound lanes and hit a 2007 Nissan Versa and then a 2015 BMW motorcycle.

The car went down an embankment, where it came to a stop and the driver of the motorcycle was able to stop safely without suffering injuries.

Troopers said Susan Shlegle, 68, was killed and pronounced dead at the scene. A 45-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy were seriously injured in the crash, while the driver did not suffer any injuries. All four people in the car were from Lafayette, Colorado.

Waale was not injured.

Highway 24 was reopened a little after 7 p.m.