A Toyota carrying two women failed to negotiate a slight curve on Marksheffel Road south of East Gate Street on August 31, crossing into oncoming traffic and slamming into a northbound Chevrolet sedan. Both Toyota occupants were pronounced dead at the scene, while the Chevrolet's occupants were rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The Colorado Springs Police Department was notified of the crash around 1:30 p.m., and a preliminary investigation found the Toyota had been traveling south on Marksheffel Road before entering the northbound lane, according to FOX21 News Colorado. The El Paso County Coroner's Office identified the Toyota's occupants on September 2 as 53-year-old Francine Shumake, who was driving, and 61-year-old Brenda Baker, a passenger. CSPD reported the crash marked the city's 42nd and 43rd traffic fatalities of 2026.
That pace outstrips last year's numbers. Colorado Springs had recorded 39 traffic fatalities at the same point in 2025. Preliminary statewide data showed traffic deaths across Colorado dropping 21 percent during the first eight months of 2026.
A Corridor Already Flagged as High-Risk
A Corridor With Ongoing Safety Concerns Marksheffel Road runs through an eastern Colorado Springs corridor where safety remains a concern. Road-safety funding can be directed toward dangerous roadways.
Marksheffel also functions as the primary eastern route into Peterson Space Force Base via East Gate Street. Base officials and city traffic engineers previously introduced interim speed limit reductions and signage changes around East Gate to reduce collision risk, a step first documented by Peterson Space Force Base back in 2019.
Widening Project Underway, But Not Finished
The City of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority are in the middle of a $55 million, multi-phase project involving Marksheffel Road, according to KRDO. The project is part of ongoing transportation work in the area.
Other nearby work is also underway along the corridor.
Not the First Fatal Wreck on This Stretch
The August 31 crash occurred on the still-undivided two-lane stretch of Marksheffel Road.
Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 42-4-1402, a driver who operates a vehicle imprudently without due regard for curves or road conditions can be charged with careless driving, a Class 1 misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail and $1,000 in fines when the offense results in death, according to the Right Law Group. The statute addresses careless driving offenses that result in death.
A City Still Chasing a 2020 Peak
A City Tracking Traffic Fatalities Colorado Springs' traffic fatality count is tracked by the CSPD Data Hub. Ongoing construction projects on Marksheffel Road remain an open question for the growing communities that depend on it every day.
