State investigators have identified the victims of a multi-vehicle collision Monday during a dust storm on Interstate 70 as a 37-year-old Broomfield man and a 68-year-old Arriba woman.
Jason N. Bird and Margorie Davis were driving cars near the head of a 15-vehicle pileup triggered by a dust storm so thick there was “zero visibility,” said Trooper David Hall of the Colorado State Patrol.
The accident 15 miles east of Limon at 12:56 p.m. Monday also injured five people and involved 10 passenger vehicles and five semis, Hall said.
Trooper Ryan Sullivan said it was not known how the first collision that sparked the chain-reaction accident took place. The accident remains under investigation, he said.
Sharon Chatterton, 63, of Colorado Springs suffered serious injuries when her sport utility vehicle caught fire; she was taken to University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora.
David Glascock, 59, of Ashley, Mo., suffered moderate injuries and was taken to Lincoln Community Hospital in Hugo.
Kimberly Delve, 43, of Agate; Amber Tate-Bird, 37, of Broomfield; and Richard Launius, 44, of Winston-Salem, N.C., were treated for minor injuries.
Four vehicles, including the Birds’ car, were pushed off the highway.
A black 2007 Freightliner semi burst into flames, and the fire spread to Davis’ maroon car, consuming it, and Chatterton’s gold 2007 Toyota SUV, Hall said. The tractor-trailer also was completed burned, he said.
Both directions of I-70 were closed for hours.
Sullivan said he did not know whether authorities were considering closing the highway because of the dense dirt storm before the accident happened.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
