The crash occurred at 6:41 a.m. near mile post 32 of U.S. Highway 550, in the Hermosa area.<\/p>\n
Highway 550 was closed for about 3\u00bd hours while law enforcement investigated and cleared the scene. Traffic was rerouted on County Road 203.<\/p>\n
Nathaniel Andrew, 24, of Durango, was driving north on Highway 550 when he ran off the right side of the road, hit a guard rail, came back across the road and hit an oncoming vehicle being driven by Ryder, Driscoll said.<\/p>\n
Andrew was taken to Mercy Regional Medical Center with \u201cmoderate\u201d injuries, where he was treated and released; Ryder died on scene, Driscoll said.<\/p>\n
Andrew was driving a 2012 white Ford F-350. Ryder was driving a 2006 blue Chevy pickup.<\/p>\n
No drugs or alcohol are suspected in the crash, but law enforcement suspect fatigue on the part of Andrew may be a factor, Driscoll said.<\/p>\n
Ryder was raised on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and moved to Vail in 1971 to ski and play music, ultimately ending up in Durango in 1979. He was a singer and guitarist who played Western, country and cowboy music.<\/p>\n Rod Barker, president and CEO of the Strater, said the hotel is flying its flags at half-staff for the rest of the week to honor Ryder. There will also be a musical tribute at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Diamond Belle Saloon.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve known him for a very long time. He\u2019s played in the Belle for a lot of years,\u201d Barker said, adding that while there are a number of things that Ryder will be remembered for, a couple stand out to him.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, his wonderful, silky smooth baritone voice that was so Greg Ryder,\u201d he said. \u201cHe came to town as sort of a ski bum trying to get into the music world to kind of support his desire to ski and play golf. And yet, that\u2019s what we all remember him for \u2013 we know he skied and played golf, but, damn, he was good at music.\u201d<\/p>\n The other thing is that he was not a quitter, Barker said.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would work on something until he got it. He worked so hard at things to make them right,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember our music show, when he had to remember some poems and lines, and he wasn\u2019t the guy who was good at lines, but he worked and worked and worked until he memorized those poems. He was not a quitter; he was a go-getter.\u201d<\/p>\n