Two Dispatchers Die in Colorado Accident

Two Elbert County (Colo.) sheriff’s dispatchers were killed on the way home from work when their car was struck by a tractor-trailer rig that swerved across the center line outside of Colorado Springs on Sunday. Richard Rockwell, 56, had just started work in December, while Todd Sielaff, 45, was a five-year veteran shift supervisor. Steve West, the county’s director of communications, told a newspaper, “The staff is very subdued. Right now, everybody is actually still trying to come to terms with this.” The two men were driving eastbound on Highway 24 in separate cars when the vehicle in front of them attempted to pass during foggy and snowy conditions. The car was struck by a westbound big rig, which then veered into the eastbound lanes and struck the men’s cars. A third car was also hit and the occupant injured. The 911 CARES program asks for messages of condolence and support to: Elbert County Sheriff’s Comm Center, 751 Ute Ave., Kiowa CO 80117, fax (303) 805-6159. [read story] [watch TV report]