Preliminary report issued in deadly crash that killed 5 Colorado teenagers

The National Transportation Safety Board has released its preliminary investigation into the deadly crash that claimed the lives of five teenagers in Grand Junction. The crash happened on Aug. 8 just three minutes before midnight on Lookout Lane in Orchard Mesa, according to investigators. 

Five 17-year-old boys were killed when the 2003 Cadillac CTS  they were traveling in veered off the road and went off a cliff. 

According to NTSB investigators, the vehicle failed to negotiate a leftward curve in the road, departed the roadway, rolled over, descended down a steep embankment and over a cliff face, and then crashed onto the rocky surface below. 

All five teens were fatally injured, and their bodies were found the next day. Police said three had seat belts on and two did not. The students attended Grand Junction High School in Mesa County Valley School District 51. 

NTSB wrote in its preliminary report that the posted speed limit on Lookout Lane is 20 mph. In the area of the crash, the road features multiple curves. At the area of departure, the road is bordered to the south by a sloped, mountable concrete curb and a sidewalk, which separates a park from the roadway. 

Beyond the park is a downhill slope that leads to a cliff edge with multiple drop-offs. Investigators said the weather was clear and the road was dry at the time of the crash. 

Grand Junction police and the NTSB continue to investigate the deadly crash.