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Sheriff says Highway 491 crash involved three separate collisions; internal investigation underway, fee changes discussed
Summary
Montezuma County Sheriff provided an update on a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 491 and M, said an internal affairs investigation is ongoing, and discussed proposed changes to the sheriff's office fee schedule including concealed carry instructor fees and inmate daily care rates.
Sheriff Steve updated commissioners on a serious incident on Highway 491 and M, saying the event involved multiple, separate collisions and an internal affairs process is underway.
"This is 3 separate crashes. It isn't just 1," the sheriff told the board, describing a sequence in which a vehicle collision occurred, another northbound vehicle later struck that first vehicle, and a semi-truck was involved in a separate collision minutes earlier. The sheriff said the Colorado State Patrol led the crash investigation and that county officials have not yet received the full crash report. He said a deputy received a citation for careless driving and had paid that citation. The sheriff added that the office intends transparency once the internal and technical investigations and reports are complete.
Commissioners asked whether additional technical accident review could be requested; the sheriff said he would pursue further analysis after the internal affairs review. He said one of his deputies was hospitalized briefly and has since been released.
Fee schedule and jail costs
The sheriff also presented a proposed sheriff's office fee schedule for the board's consideration. Several fees cited are set by state statute, including many civil-process and records fees. The sheriff highlighted changes required by new concealed-carry permit procedures taking effect July 1: instructors must be verified and certified and the sheriff's office plans to charge a $100 fee for instructor verification, mirroring a fee used by La Plata County. The sheriff described the statutory portion of the concealed-carry application fee that is transmitted to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and said the county will follow newly enacted state procedures for instructor approval and renewals.
On jail costs, the sheriff urged raising the daily inmate-care fee (he cited a proposed minimum of $125 per day) and discussed ongoing disputes statewide about Department of Corrections reimbursements for housing state inmates; he noted the county still bills DOC but receives limited reimbursement and that state discussions could change those rates.
What the board directed
Commissioners asked staff to review existing municipal agreements related to housing inmates and to circulate the proposed fee schedule for further review. The sheriff said the materials were submitted to the county and would be returned to the board for formal action after review.
Provenance
The sheriff's update and related discussion appear in the meeting record beginning at 00:46:19 (transcript block starting at 2779.45) and extend through the fee-schedule discussion ending at 01:00:02 (transcript block starting at 3837.855).
