The Summit County Sheriff’s Office announced on June 1 that its investigation into a fatal vehicle explosion at the Straight Creek Trailhead has concluded with no evidence of criminal activity by another person.
The incident occurred shortly before 7:00 a.m. on March 6, when deputies and fire personnel responded to reports of an explosion, smoke, and a burning vehicle at the end of County Road 51. Responders found the vehicle fully engulfed in flames and, after extinguishing the fire, discovered a single male occupant deceased inside.
Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons said, “This was a complicated and difficult scene to process, but we now know the death was not the result of a criminal act. I’m grateful to our detectives and partner agencies for their thorough work.”
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office led what it described as an extensive criminal investigation. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control, and Colorado Bureau of Investigation assisted with the case.
Authorities have closed their inquiry into this incident after finding no probable cause indicating foul play.
