Craig Daily Press / Craig man in serious condition after motorcycle crash

Archive for Monday, May 11, 2009

May 11, 2009, 9:12 p.m.

Updated: May 12, 2009, 12:45 a.m.

Steamboat Springs — A 37-year-old Craig man who was thrown from his motorcycle in a crash on U.S. Highway 40 west of Hayden on Monday night was listed in serious condition. He was scheduled to be flown to Denver Health, authorities said.

Ricky Bustad's condition was upgraded from critical to serious by 10:30 p.m. Monday.

The crash occurred at about 7 p.m. as Bustad was driving west on U.S. 40 near Yampa River State Park, said Capt. Dan Parrott, of West Routt Fire and Ambulance. Bustad is thought to have lost control of his Harley-Davidson motorcycle and gone off the road near mile marker 103.

Colorado State Patrol Sgt. Scott Elliott said Bustad went off the right side of the road near a curve.

"The road curved to the left and he went straight," Elliott said.

Bustad's motorcycle struck a sign, then a delineator post. Elliott said Bustad was thrown from the motorcycle and into a patch of bushes on the side of the road.

Elliott said there was no obvious cause of the crash, and Bustad was alone on the motorcycle.

Traffic on U.S. 40 temporarily was blocked, but the highway was reopened a short time later.