The investigation into the car crash that killed Colorado state Sen. Faith Winter will take weeks, with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office reporting Monday that she had been involved in one of two wrecks that happened near each other on Interstate 25.
A memorial service for Winter will be held at 2 p.m. Friday on the west steps of the Colorado Capitol.
The Wednesday crash was first reported as a five-vehicle pile-up on northbound Interstate 25 near Dry Creek Road. However, investigators determined there were two wrecks involving five vehicles, according to a sheriff’s office news release.
The wrecks occurred around 6 p.m. Wednesday “in close proximity to each other,” the release stated. The first wreck involved two vehicles, and the second involved three.
Winter was killed in the second crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, the sheriff’s office reported. A second person injured in that crash was transported to a hospital for treatment.
Two other people were also taken to hospitals for injuries sustained in the first crash, according to the news release.
Investigators with the Arapahoe sheriff’s traffic safety unit are conducting a full reconstruction of the wreck to determine how and why it happened. Reconstructions are standard for severe accidents, including those involving fatalities and multiple vehicles. Investigators are still interviewing drivers, passengers and witnesses.
A detailed analysis of the crash will take several weeks to complete, the news release stated.
Anyone who witnessed either collision and has not yet spoken with investigators is asked to contact Deputy Benjamin Sears with the traffic safety unit at [email protected].
The sheriff’s office does not plan to release additional information until the reconstruction is finished.
Winter, 45, was a Broomfield Democrat who served 10 years at the state Capitol after first being elected to the House of Representatives in 2015 and then the Senate in 2018.
Winter’s death shocked her colleagues at the Capitol, who remembered her hard work and dedication to her constituents. During her career, she worked on legislation involving family leave, climate improvement and protections against workplace harassment. Winter also faced a personal challenge in 2024 when she was cited with an ethics complaint for appearing intoxicated at a Northglenn community meeting. She sought treatment for substance use disorder after that complaint.
Winter is survived by two children and her fiancé. Family friends are accepting donations on GoFundMe to help Winter’s children pay for their mother’s funeral expenses and to add to their college savings.
