Bethesda Couple Die In Crash While Vacationing In Colorado

BETHESDA, MD — A Bethesda bicycle shop mechanic and his wife are dead after they were involved in a car crash last month while vacationing in Colorado, according to police and a report.

The crash happened on Dec. 26 just before 9:30 a.m. on Highway 40 near Fraser, Colorado. According to police, a Toyota Tundra driven by a 37-year-old Colorado man and carrying four passengers was traveling east when it lost traction on the icy roadway.

Police said the driver lost control of the Toyota before it drifted into the westbound lane and collided with a Peterbilt tractor-trailer.

A man — identified by Bethesda Magazine as 29-year-old Williams Herrera Ortega — died at the scene. His wife, 29-year-old Sofia Rincon, was taken to the hospital, where she died on Jan. 4.

Police said neither drugs nor alcohol were factors in the crash.

The investigation into the crash remains ongoing and the police department will forward its findings to the Colorado 14th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to determine possible charges.

Ortega was employed as a mechanic at Terrapin Bicycles, located at 4933 Auburn Ave. The business confirmed his death in a post on Instagram and said the couple was on a holiday vacation in Colorado at the time of the crash.

"They were a young couple and they had their whole lives ahead of them," the business wrote. "We are devastated to share this news with the community."

A GoFundMe was established to help cover funeral expenses.