Additional Coverage:
A five-year-old Colorado girl survived a devastating car accident that claimed the lives of both her parents, only to be found more than 30 hours later still trapped in the wreckage.
According to Colorado State Police, Kayce Griffin remained in the overturned pickup truck alongside her deceased mother, 24-year-old Klariza Tarango, and father, 25-year-old Devante Griffin. The vehicle had veered off the shoulder of Highway 160 near Bayfield and rolled onto its roof in a location hidden from the main road.
Though the crash occurred around 6 a.m. on May 1, emergency responders did not discover the scene until approximately 12:30 p.m. the following day. Investigators confirmed that Devante Griffin was driving at the time but found no evidence of impairment or speeding. Both parents were not wearing seatbelts and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Kayce, who was secured in an unbelted car seat, was reported by first responders to have walked toward them when they arrived. She was transported to Mercy Hospital in Durango with minor injuries and later released to the care of her grandfather. The family has a second daughter, who was not in the vehicle during the accident.
“You’d be surprised how resilient children are,” said Colorado State Patrol spokesperson Hunter Matthews. “She remained in the vehicle. We assumed that she was comfortable being around her parents.”
The Upper Pine River Fire Protection district, which responded to the scene, described Kayce’s survival as both a tragedy and a miracle. The agency emphasized the critical importance of properly installing children’s car seats to protect young passengers.
The crash remains under investigation but is not being treated as a criminal matter. The Griffin family is from Farmington, New Mexico. A family GoFundMe page shared heartfelt messages remembering the couple and their two daughters.
“Devante entered Heaven’s gates with the love of his life, Klariza Tarango,” family members wrote. “They leave behind two beautiful daughters, Kaycee and Karenza.”