JEFFERSON COUNTY — Sixteen elk were killed early Friday morning in a traffic accident in the foothills west of Denver.
A herd was crossing Interstate 70 in Jefferson County near the Beaver Brook exit about 1 a.m. when the accident happened in the eastbound lanes, said Stacey Stegman, a spokeswoman with the Colorado Department of Transportation.
“This is definitely unusual,” Stegman said. “We usually don’t see this large a number of animals involved.”
Elk have been known to migrate through the area, and animal-crossing signs are posted along the interstate, Stegman said.
A semi and two cars were involved in the accident. No motorists were injured, Stegman said.
Highway department workers used snowplows and dump trucks to remove the carcasses. The highway was reopened about 3:30 a.m. Kieran Nicholson, The Denver Post
