Five children and a man who ran a group home were killed Thursday when their van collided with a tractor-trailer in eastern Colorado, authorities said.
A van carrying 13 people crashed into the back of an empty livestock semi-trailer truck that was at the end of the line of a 1,000 foot backup in a construction zone US 287 south of Kit Carson, Colorado.
The names of the five killed were released by the Colorado State Patrol:
Van driver:
Howard Mitchell
Children:
Austyn Ackinson, 11; Tony Mitchell, 4; Tayla Mitchell, 10; Andy Dawson, 13, and Jeremy Franks, 17.
the driver of the semi-trailer truck was seriously injured; and six other people in the van were also seriously injured. One other person in the van received minor injuries.
All of the children in the van lived in a home for adopted and foster children that was managed by the van driver.
A van driven by a sheriff’s deputy who ran a group home for adopted and foster children collided with a trailer Thursday, killing him and five children and injuring seven other children. No person in the van was wearing a seat belt.
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