Two Farmington residents killed in rollover crash east of Bayfield, child survives

Two Farmington parents died in a rollover crash east of Bayfield, and their 5-year-old daughter survived after the wreck went unnoticed for most of a day along U.S. Highway 160.

Colorado State Patrol identified the victims as Devante Griffin, 25, and Klariza Tarango, 24. Their daughter, Kayce Griffin, survived with minor injuries, was treated at Mercy Hospital and later discharged to her grandfather.

Investigators said the crash involved an older blue Chevrolet S-10 pickup with New Mexico plates that left the south shoulder of eastbound U.S. Highway 160 near County Road 526, rolled multiple times and came to rest upside down about 40 feet down an embankment. The truck was not visible from the roadway, and the wreck was not reported until 12:35 p.m. Saturday, May 3, after another driver called it in.

Troopers believe the crash happened around 6 a.m. Friday, May 2, leaving the vehicle out of sight for roughly 30 hours before emergency crews reached the scene. Upper Pine Fire Chief Bruce Evans said the pickup was difficult to spot from the highway, a detail that likely delayed discovery on the rural stretch east of Bayfield.

State Patrol said excessive speed and impairment were ruled out as possible factors, and officers do not expect to file charges. That shifts the focus of the investigation to the mechanics of the rollover itself, including why the pickup left the roadway and why it flipped so violently on that section of highway.

La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith identified Griffin and Tarango on Monday, May 4. Smith said an autopsy could not be performed until Wednesday, May 7, leaving some questions about the exact cause of death unresolved. Officials also said neither adult was wearing a seat belt when emergency personnel arrived, and Evans said the child was not in a car seat or booster seat at the time of the crash.

For families who regularly drive the Bayfield corridor, the crash is a stark reminder of how quickly a vehicle can disappear from view on a rural highway. Colorado State Patrol has said its troopers investigated 268 roadway fatalities in calendar year 2020, underscoring how fatal crashes remain a persistent safety issue across the state even as this one leaves a deeply personal loss in Farmington and San Juan County.