5 teens killed after driving off cliff in western Colorado

Lauren Penington and Jessica Alvarado Gamez, The Denver Post on Aug 11, 2026

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DENVER — Five 17-year-old boys died late Saturday night after driving off a cliff in Grand Junction, according to the Mesa County Coroner’s Office.

Grand Junction police officers and firefighters responded to the crash near 2694 Lookout Lane at about 7:45 a.m. Sunday, according to an initial news release from the police department. When they arrived, law enforcement found a vehicle crashed on the hillside, police said.

The teens, all Grand Junction residents, were all pronounced dead at the scene, the coroner’s office said. They died from injuries sustained in the crash.

Three teens were wearing their seatbelts, including the driver and front seat passenger. The other two were not wearing seatbelts and were ejected in the crash, the coroner’s office said.

Investigators believe the car was headed southbound on Lookout Lane when it veered off the roadway and down the steep hillside, police said.

Speed is being investigated as a factor in the crash, police said.

Family and friends of the teenagers on GoFundMe identified three of the boys killed in the crash as William Simms, Tyler Kersey and Tristan Tucker. The other two have not yet been publicly identified.

The Mesa County Coroner did not immediately respond to questions on Tuesday.

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