Ex-Boulder Mayor Bob Greenlee was driving aggressively, going 22 mph over limit in fatal crash, report says

Former Boulder mayor Bob Greenlee was driving an estimated 22 mph over the speed limit when investigators say his aggressive driving triggered a fatal, five vehicle wreck near La Veta, according to a Colorado State Patrol report.Patricia Lucero, 70, died,...

Ex-Boulder Mayor Bob Greenlee was driving aggressively, going 22 mph over limit in fatal crash, report says

Former Boulder mayor Bob Greenlee was driving an estimated 22 mph over the speed limit when investigators say his aggressive driving triggered a fatal, five vehicle wreck near La Veta, according to a Colorado State Patrol report.

Patricia Lucero, 70, died, and Greenlee and his wife, Diane, were injured in the Dec. 28 crash on U.S. 160 over La Veta Pass in southern Colorado.

A State Patrol accident report says Greenlee, 75, was driving 87 mph in a 65 mph zone at the time of the wreck. The report says the most apparent human contributing factor to the crash was his aggressive driving and improper passing on the left.

The investigation into the crash has been presented to prosecutors, but as of Wednesday morning no charges had been announced. The 12th Judicial District's attorney has not responded to requests for comment.

The Colorado State Patrol says Greenlee, a prominent Colorado Republican and founder of KBCO radio station, was driving a 2003 Cadillac Escalade west on the highway when he went into oncoming traffic to pass a vehicle and struck Lucero's 2010 Toyota Camry.

That collision set off a chain of crashes that involved three other vehicles and injured several other people, closing the highway for several hours, according to investigators.

“On behalf of our parents and families, we would like to express our deepest sympathies to the loved ones of … Pat Lucero, who lost her life in this tragic accident,” AnneMarie Kemp, Greenlee's daughter, said in a statement to The Daily Camera in December. “We understand she was a beloved member of her community and will be terribly missed by all who knew and loved her.”

Kemp, who also wrote on behalf of her brother Rob Greenlee, said that family members would not answer any questions or release any additional statements because of the “ongoing investigation and injuries sustained by our parents.” The family has not publicly commented since then.

Greenlee, of Lafayette, was driving the Escalade when the wreck occurred at about 12:15 p.m. on Dec. 28, the Colorado State Patrol says.

After hitting Lucero's Camry, which was traveling east, authorities say the Toyota then hit a tractor-trailer before crossing into the highway's westbound lanes and striking a 2006 Kia Spectra. The Escalade continued westbound and hit an eastbound BMW X5 head-on, causing the BMW to roll onto its side, according to investigators.

The Escalade came to rest on its wheels. The State Patrol's crash report says Greenlee appeared to have tried to brake and steer to avoid the wreck.

The Alamosa Courier reports Lucero, of Monte Vista, was an Alamosa County employee who was heavily involved in her community. Her obituary says her hobbies included traveling, cooking, canning and spending time with her friends. "Her true passion however," the death notice said, "was her family."

She is survived by children and grandchildren.

Greenlee was Boulder's mayor for a two-year stint in the late 1990's and also served on the city's council. He lost a tight bid for a U.S. House of Representatives seat to Democrat Mark Udall in 1998 that at the time was closest U.S. House race in the state's history.

He has since become a columnist for The Daily Camera in addition to his philanthropic endeavors. In the business realm, the Iowa State graduate and his wife founded Boulder's KBCO radio station and he also co-founded Rock Bottom Restaurants.

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