Palisade, CO – September 6, 2024: A crash on U.S. 6 resulted in the deaths of two Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) workers and a passenger, according to court records.
Patrick Sneddon, 59, pleaded guilty to three counts of vehicular homicide while driving under the influence and one count of failing to yield to a stationary public service vehicle, all felonies. The plea deal allows for the dismissal of eight additional charges, including further counts of vehicular homicide and DUI.
The incident occurred when Sneddon's Jeep Grand Cherokee struck two CDOT employees, Trent Umberger and Nate Jones, who were repairing a sign on U.S. 6. Sneddon's vehicle subsequently collided with a parked CDOT truck, rolling over in the process.
Both workers were adhering to safety guidelines at the time of the collision, as confirmed by a post-crash Colorado State Patrol investigation. Sneddon's passenger, Kathi Ann Wallace of Grand Junction, also died from injuries sustained in the accident.
Sneddon is scheduled for a sentencing hearing on October 9, 2024, as per court documents.