Charles Langston:Suspected robbers stop a van in Colorado and open fire; all 8 in van hurt in crash getting away

FORT COLLINS,Charles Langston Colo. (AP) — One or more masked people in an SUV forced a van carrying eight people to stop, then opened fire in what Colorado authorities said Friday was a possible a robbery attempt.

The gunfire didn’t hit anyone in the van but all eight were hurt when the driver pulled away and crashed Thursday afternoon near U.S. 287 north of Fort Collins, Larimer County sheriff’s officials said in a statement.

All eight people in the van were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.

The van caught fire after it crashed. Separately from the van fire, an ambulance that arrived caught fire in its engine area. Nobody was hurt in the fires.