The Accident Investigation

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Directly after the accident, the Durango Herald published an article stating Katie Siegrist was hit by a car and was in critical condition. The article had statements from Police Commander Deck Shaline.  Commander Shaline claimed there were no independent witnesses, Katie was wearing dark clothing with no reflective material and had no lighting device. 

Katie was struck in front of the United Campground on Animas View Drive. The current owner of United Campground stated that roughly a half dozen people rushed up to help. They called 911 and covered her as she lay by the roadside. Katie was running with her dog at the time and heading north on Animas View drive. She was wearing reflective Hoka running shoes, had a white/tan sweatshirt on, and grey running tights with reflective tags. Her dog was also wearing a reflective collar.  This contradicts what Commander Deck Shaline reported to the Durango Herald.  It should also be noted that no clothing from Katie was obtain as evidence by the Durango Police Department.

Within a week, with no official accident investigation being performed, we became aware that the Police department had closed the case. The preliminary report conducted by the Durango Police Department found no evidence to pursue charging the driver Ms. Burkhardt with a citation. 

According to the police audio, the driver, Ms. Burkhardt admitted to traveling 30 MPH in the 25 MPH zone. The accident engineer report confirmed the excessive speed. Ms. Burkhardt has been living in Durango for many years and often traveled this route. Through an independent investigation we became privy to the fact that she had been told that her vehicle, in its current condition, is unsafe for highway travel.

Some of the major findings by the hired accident investigating engineer, Anne Stodola, include numerous substantial cracks in the windshield obstructing the view of the road. This is in violation of CRS 42-4-201(4) that states "No vehicle shall be operated upon any highway unless the driver's vision through any required glass equipment is normal and unobstructed."

The inspection also found that the headlights of the drivers vehicle produced only 10% of the federal legal minimum limit. 

In addition Anne's report found that Ms. Burkhardt's Jeep struck Katie with the right front fender while she was running to the right of the fog line ( on the shoulder of the road ). This shows Ms. Burkhardt was operating her vehicle carelessly on or to the right of the fog line while in excessive speed of the posted 25mph limit. This violates CRS 42-4-1402 Careless Driving Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury or Death. In regards to the above, she would also be in violation of CRS 42-4-1402.5(1)(a) The Colorado Vulnerable User Act.

The Vulnerable User Act was specifically passed for cases such as this. This act aims to provide justice for vulnerable road users (runners, walkers, cyclists, etc.).

Please see below for further readings of the SEL Accident Investigation Report, Letter to the Durango Police Department and the Letter from the District Attorneys Office.