INSIDE THE WRECK: WHAT INVESTIGATORS FOUND COULD HELP EXPLAIN THE FATAL TEEN CRASH

Five teenagers, all just 17 years old, died after the vehicle they were traveling in reportedly left the roadway and plunged down a steep hillside in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The crash occurred late Saturday night, but police were not notified until around 7:45 a.m. Sunday, leaving investigators with a difficult task: reconstructing what happened during the hours before the wreck was discovered.

WHAT WAS INSIDE THE VEHICLE?

Investigators are examining the wreckage and evidence recovered from the vehicle as they work to establish what happened during the final moments before the crash.

The condition and location of evidence inside the vehicle could potentially help investigators determine:

How the vehicle was positioned when it left the roadway

What may have happened immediately before the crash

Whether any mechanical or environmental factors played a role

Whether speed contributed to the loss of control

However, investigators have not publicly established that any single piece of evidence explains the crash.

A NIGHTTIME CRASH WITH HOURS OF QUESTIONS

Because the crash happened in darkness and was not reported until the following morning, investigators must piece together the timeline from physical evidence, witness information and the crash scene.

That makes every verified detail potentially important.

But speculation about what happened inside the vehicle should not be confused with findings from the official investigation.

WHY DID THE VEHICLE LEAVE THE ROAD?

That remains the central question.

Was speed a factor?

Did the driver suddenly lose control?

Was there another contributing circumstance?

Or did several factors combine to produce the tragedy?

Investigators will ultimately have to determine what the evidence supports.

FIVE TEENAGERS.

ONE DEVASTATING CRASH.

AND A TIMELINE INVESTIGATORS ARE STILL TRYING TO RECONSTRUCT.

This post is based on reported information. The cause of the crash and the significance of individual evidence should not be treated as established until investigators release their findings.