Weld County crash victims identified as local high school athletes
The three men killed in a high-speed rollover crash east of Ault Saturday evening have been identified.
Cash Rinker, 20, of Eaton, Jack Dirksen, 19, of Eaton, and Cooper Nider, 19, of Greeley, were pronounced dead at the scene after the Chevy Tahoe they were in rolled over just after 5 p.m. Saturday, throwing everyone from the vehicle, according to news releases from Colorado State Patrol and the Weld County Coroner’s Office.
The car’s 20-year-old male driver from Wyoming was critically injured in the crash, and one other 19-year-old male passenger sustained minor injuries, according to CSP’s release. The vehicle was speeding at the time of the crash, but officials have not yet determined its cause.
Four of the occupants were 2025 Eaton High School graduates, the school district said on social media.
Rinker and Nider were each baseball players at Eaton, according to online player profile pages. Rinker was most recently playing shortstop for the Fort Collins Foxes, a collegiate summer baseball club.
Dirksen played football as a defensive back, according to his profile.
“Our hearts, thoughts and prayers continue to be with our entire community as we remember the loved ones we have lost,” wrote school district Superintendent Todd Cordrey on social media. “During times like these, grief touches each of us differently and there is no right or wrong way to process such a profound loss.”
Cordrey also directed anyone affected by the crash to the following resources:
- North Range Behavioral Health: call (970) 347-2120 or text 988
- The Community Grief Center: located at 4633 20th St., Unit B
Greeley; phone number is (970) 506-4114 - Parenting Through Grief and Crisis presentation at Eaton High School Auditorium from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday: open to any parent, guardian, caregiver or supportive adult




