A 5-year-old girl in Colorado has miraculously survived a car crash that killed both her parents, but she was trapped for more than 30 hours in the overturned vehicle alongside her parents' bodies before being discovered.
According to the Colorado State Patrol, young Kayce Griffin was with her parents in a blue Chevrolet S10 pickup truck when the vehicle veered off Highway 160 near Bayfield and flipped into an area hidden from view.
Police found the vehicle at approximately 12:30 PM on May 2, 2026; however, the initial investigation suggests the accident actually occurred around 6:00 AM the previous day.
Her parents:
Devante Griffin, 25
and Klariza Tarango, 24
were confirmed dead at the scene.
Authorities stated that neither parent was wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred.
Kayce was also not properly secured in her child safety seat.
When rescue teams arrived, the young girl walked up the hillside toward the emergency responders on her own.
Kayce was subsequently taken to Mercy Hospital in Durango to be treated for minor injuries and has since been placed in the care of her maternal grandfather.
Colorado State Patrol spokesperson Hunter Matthews stated:
“You would be surprised at the resilience of young children. We believe she felt safe being near her parents.”
Police do not currently suspect drugs or speeding were factors. The incident remains under investigation but is not being treated as a criminal act.
The family stated that the couple also leaves behind another daughter who was not in the vehicle at the time of the accident.
The Upper Pine River Fire Protection District—the unit involved in the rescue—described the event as:
“a tragedy but also a miracle.”
The unit also urged parents to thoroughly research how to properly install child safety seats in vehicles.
