SILVERTHORNE, Colo.—An accident triggered by a truck that lost its brakes created havoc for people returning from Colorado’s mountain ski resorts.
A trucker heading down the steep hill on the west side of the Eisenhower Tunnel along Interstate 70 lost her brakes Sunday. The Colorado State Patrol said the truck sideswiped a Chevrolet Trailblazer, injuring three people. One was seriously hurt but the injuries aren’t considered life-threatening.
The accident shut down portions of the highway for up to five hours. Drivers returning to the Front Range had to use Loveland Pass.
The truck was carrying sulfatrol, a material used in oil and gas drilling. An unknown amount spilled but authorities don’t think it poses a hazard. Trucks carrying hazmat loads are normally required to take Loveland Pass, but a spokesman for the state patrol said he didn’t know if the spilled material was a hazardous material in the state it was in.
Colorado State Patrol Hazmat crews and local authorities cleaned up the material.
Fifty-nine-year-old Mona Hauan of Amarillo, Texas, was cited for careless driving. Troopers believe she was driving too fast for the steep grade.
