monday, june 20, 2011 Vol. 132, no. 11 The Voice of Salida and the Upper Arkansas Valley 50 cents

FIBark: Water sports, running, bicycling and events

Jake Borunda, 56 of Coal-dale, died about 5:15 p.m. Fri-day when the pickup in which he was riding rolled more than three times off U.S. 50 about 3 miles east of Coto-paxi.

The driver, Jerry Borunda, 53 of Northglenn, was flown to St. Mary Corwin Hospital in Pueblo with serious inju-ries.

Colorado State Troopers

reported the driver was west-bound when he lost control of the 2004 Ford Ranger and drove off the right side of the road hitting a sign.

The pickup returned to the highway before spinning off the left side of the road where it rolled 3.5 times, stopping on its top.

State Patrol officials report-ed driver and passenger were wearing seatbelts.

Officials said cause of the crash remains under investi-gation.

Wreck leaves one dead; one injuredby Paul J. GoetzMail Managing Editor

Kevin Kirkendall, 38 of Buena Vista, drove through a series of fences and struck several camp trailers before stopping inside the Holiday RV sales lot, 10132 U.S. 50 in Pon-cha Springs, early Friday.

Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Marshall Schwarz reported Kirkendall was westbound driving a white 2004 Ford F-150 pulling a small trailer.

Schwarz said Kirkendall drove through the stop sign at the U.S. 50 T with U.S. 285, across U.S. 285, through a wire mesh fence, striking two camp trailers. The pickup passed through another fence, hit a slide-out camper which, in turn, struck another slide-out.

The pickup continued before hitting another trailer where it stopped.

Kirkendall escaped injury, but his pickup received “signifi-cant” front and side damage,

Schwarz said.Schwartz reported Kirken-

dall might have been distract-ed by his cell phone. He was charged with careless driving. Schwarz reported alcohol is not suspected in the incident.

Holiday RV owner Steve Shurbet of Salida said it was the third time someone drove through the fence damaging trailers displayed inside.

In the first wreck, he said one trailer was damaged. In the most recent two incidents, he said five trailers were dam-aged each time.

“It was different this time,” Shurbet said, “because (the driver) wasn’t intoxicated. I’m not mad. I’m just thankful nobody got hurt.”

Shurbet said a state trooper once suggested he put up a bar-rier.

“I won’t put up barriers because I don’t want anybody to get hurt,” Shurbet said. “These things happen in life and I’m just going to roll with it.”

Man drives through Holiday RV lot by Ericka KastnerMail Staff Writer

Holli D. Raymer, 29 of Cañon City, received serious injuries early Sunday when the pickup she was driving went off U.S. 50 and hit a cliff face near Texas Creek.

Colorado State Patrol Mas-ter Sgt. William Holt reported Raymer was eastbound near mile post 257 about 12:35 a.m. when the 2008 Toyota

Tundra she was driving ran off the right side of the road and hit the cliff. It stopped facing east.

Holt reported Raymer was flown from the scene to Pen-rose Hospital in Colorado Springs for treatment.

He reported alcohol is sus-pected as a contributing fac-tor in the crash.

The pickup received “sig-nificant damage” to its right front and side.

by Dick DixonMail Copy Editor

Woman injured when pickup hits canyon wall

Photo by Kevin Hoffmanandy Corra of durango clears the last crashing wave at Cottonwood Rapid Sunday on his way to claim his seventh FIBark downriver Race title at the finish line in Cotopaxi.

Andy Corra of Durango won his seventh FIBArk Classic Downriver Race with a time of 1:58:07 Sunday in the mar-athon push of 26 miles from Salida to Cotopaxi.

Corra has the most down-river wins in the 62-year race history, the longest running whitewater event in North America.

In second place at 1:58:52 was Mike Freeburn of Duran-go, the 2009 winner.

Freeburn was a few seconds behind Corra for more than 20 miles of the race, but at Cottonwood Rapid Corra had a clean line down the center while Freeburn’s boat spun to the left.

Cottonwood Rapid is one of the more significant features on the river and at any water level it’s a difficult obstacle for racers.

“I botched my line, got flipped and pushed into the eddy. I’m not sure if I could have caught Andy in the final stretch. He was moving fast for the entire race,” Freeburn said.

Corra’s time is the fastest recorded since 1995 when Nelson Oldham of Carbondale established the course record of 1:47:18 during high water.

Corra was second that year with his fastest recorded time of 1:47:57.

“We’ve had several years with times less than two hours, but that record-year was something else. I remem-

ber it was difficult to get under the F Street Bridge.

“As I remember, it was about 4,800 (cubic feet per second) and this year it was closer to 3,300,” Corra said.

He said he did not com-pete in the 2010 competition because he had been kayaking the main stem of the Yukon River achieving the Guinness World record for the most miles kayaked in 24 hours.

“I had really been trying to do that before I turned 50 and the water level up there was at about 110,000 cfs; a little below for the record,” Corra said.

Corra won his first FIBArk title in 1985 and said many of the younger competitors are starting to, “breathe down my

Corra wins No. 7by Kevin HoffmanMail Staff Writer

Please see LACY, back page

Pages 6 through 13