GRAND COUNTY, CO — A Colorado man has been charged in connection with a head-on crash on Highway 9 that killed a family of five last August. Samuel Conger, 26, faces five counts of criminally negligent homicide, all Class 5 felonies, according to a complaint filed Oct. 14.
The same day, authorities also issued an arrest warrant for Conger, the 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said. Investigators say the crash involved a Ford F-150 and a GMC Yukon and ended with both vehicles on fire.
Conger was seriously injured and later flown to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood. The five people in the Yukon died at the scene.
Investigators say the pickup was speeding before the impact
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, Conger was driving southbound on Colorado Highway 9 when his pickup collided head-on with the Yukon. Crash reconstruction relied on drone images, damage to both vehicles, witness statements, and estimates of vehicle weights and cargo.
That reconstruction placed Conger’s speed between 78 and 86 mph in a 65-mph zone at the time of impact. Investigators also said they found no evidence at the scene or in witness statements that he tried to brake or steer away from the collision.
Sgt. Jessica Bruce wrote in the affidavit that the driving behavior was “a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would exercise.”
The family in the Yukon was identified in the warrant
The Yukon was driven by Manuel Cabral-Torres, 34. His passengers were Andrea Banuelos-Salazar, 30; Maria Cabral-Banuelos, 12; Manuel Cabral-Banuelos, 5; and Andres Cabral Banuelos, 2.
All five members of that family were pronounced dead at the scene, according to the warrant. A Grand County deputy sergeant arrived at 7:19 a.m. and extricated Cabral-Torres from the vehicle.
The crash left a devastating scene along the highway, with both vehicles burned after the impact. The warrant says the collision happened before emergency crews were able to save the victims.
Fire, injuries and a fast-moving response followed the crash
The affidavit says both vehicles caught fire after the collision. Conger got out of the pickup, while the Yukon’s driver and passengers remained trapped in the wreckage until responders arrived.
Authorities said Conger suffered serious injuries and was transported by air to St. Anthony’s Hospital in Lakewood for treatment. The filing does not describe the full extent of his injuries, but it makes clear he survived the crash.
Because the case is now in the charging stage, the criminal allegations are tied to the reconstruction and witness evidence gathered by investigators. The complaint does not explain what led up to the vehicles meeting head-on on Highway 9.
What criminally negligent homicide charges mean in this case
Conger is charged with five counts of criminally negligent homicide, one count for each person who died in the Yukon. Each count is classified as a Class 5 felony under Colorado law.
The district attorney’s office has not announced any court outcome. Conger remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty, and the complaint represents an allegation rather than a conviction.
The case now moves forward through the court process as prosecutors and defense attorneys prepare to address the evidence surrounding speed, lane position, and the lack of braking before the crash.
A deadly August crash now becomes a homicide case
What had been investigated as a fatal traffic collision is now a homicide case with serious felony allegations attached. The charges signal that prosecutors believe the facts support criminal responsibility in the deaths of all five people in the Yukon.
Colorado Highway 9 was the setting for the crash, but the consequences reached far beyond one stretch of road. One driver survived with serious injuries, while an entire family was killed in the collision.
The complaint and affidavit together outline the sequence investigators say led to the deaths: a southbound pickup, a head-on impact, a high rate of speed, and no visible attempt to avoid the crash.
