Two men are being held responsible for the death of a motorcyclist, who ran into a rope and chain the pair had stretched across a Colorado highway in order to move the carcass of an elk they had hunted. Trever Rawson, 34, the motorcyclist, hit the chest-high line and died at the scene on Oct. 12 of last year.
The incident took place on Colorado 92 in Montrose County, according to the Colorado State Patrol said in a news release.
An indictment that was returned April 10 alleged that Mark Valdez, 47, of Delta and Kevin Keener, 43, of Anton had attached the line to a pickup on one side of the road and to the elk on the other and were dragging the elk toward the road when Rawson was killed.
According to the indictment, Valdez frantically waved at Rawson from the pickup when he saw him approach, the Montrose Daily Press reported. However, Rawson still hit the line, the impact throwing him from the motorcycle and knocking off his helmet. He died at the scene.
The indictment alleges that neither Valdez nor Keener called 911 but says a motorist who came upon the scene did. The indictment also alleges that Valdez told a teenager who was helping retrieve the elk not to tell anyone what happened.
Valdez and Keener both face charges of vehicular homicide, criminally negligent homicide, manslaughter, accessory to a crime and reckless endangerment. Valdez also faces charges of failing to render aid after a fatal accident and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Both men also face hunting-related charges including willful destruction of big game wildlife and wasting big game wildlife. The indictment says the men had killed two elk, including the one being dragged, when Rawson was killed.
