‘Horrific truck crash’: Semi loses brakes on I-70, strikes 3 cars

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) says that westbound I-70 has reopened after it was shut down for hours for an major multi-vehicle injury crash.

According to CDOT, a crash involving a semi truck and three cars occurred on westbound I-70 west of the Eisenhower Tunnel just before 8 a.m. on Friday.

I-70 westbound closure

All westbound lanes of I-70 between the Eisenhower Tunnel and Silverthorne are closed for a crash involving a semi and car. Multiple people were taken to a hospital. CSP said the closure will last at least three hours, if not longer. https://bit.ly/2DxHDQU

Posted by Denver7 on Friday, September 4, 2020

Summit Fire & EMS described the crash:

Here’s what we know about the horrific truck crash on Interstate 70 this morning: About 7:45 a.m., a truck hauling construction materials on a flatbed trailer lost its brakes fairly high after leaving the Eisenhower Tunnel headed westbound toward Silverthorne. Witnesses indicated that it reached extremely high speeds before colliding with three other passenger vehicles near mile marker 207. One, a car carrying a mother and two children, rolled several times. The truck driver, who was unresponsive, was taken by Flight for Life helicopter to St. Anthony’s Central Hospital in Denver. The mother and two children were taken by Summit Fire & EMS ambulance to Summit Medical Center. No other people were injured. The westbound lanes of the interstate remain closed on the east side of the Eisenhower Tunnel while the Colorado State Patrol conducts an accident investigation and completes a cleanup of hazardous materials including fuel and oil, as well as the non-hazardous construction supplies that were scattered

Westbound I-70 reopened around 1 p.m. but heavy traffic delays are still being reported.

I-70 WB: Road open at Exit 216 – US 6; Loveland Pass. Following crash cleanup. Expect long delays. https://t.co/LNvQmYdKra

— CDOT (@ColoradoDOT) September 4, 2020