Three people were killed, three were injured and Interstate 70 was closed in Wheat Ridge for nearly eight hours Thursday after a four-vehicle rollover crash involving a semitrailer spilled large pipes across the highway.
Wheat Ridge police responded to at 8:20 a.m. Thursday, the agency said in a news release.
Investigators are still determining what caused the crash but have found that “at some point during the traffic event,” the semitrailer hauling large pipes spilled its load across the westbound highway.
A car driving westbound was hit by debris and crashed, killing three people, Wheat Ridge police said. More information about the people who died was not immediately available.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wheat Ridge PD investigating fatal crash on I-70
Just after 8:20 a.m. our partners at Jeffcom 911 received calls about major crash on I-70. Our preliminary investigation indicates a semi truck carrying large pipes crashed along EB I-70 near Ward Rd.
— Wheat Ridge Police (@WheatRidgePD)
Two other people in the car were taken to the hospital. The semitrailer driver was also taken to the hospital.
Passengers in two other vehicles refused medical care, said Wheat Ridge Police Department Division Chief Eric Kellogg.
The highway closure snarled traffic throughout the Denver metro, with I-70 closed in both directions for nearly eight hours. Eastbound lanes reopened around 3:30 p.m. and westbound I-70 reopened by 4:20 p.m.
Westbound Interstate 76 was also closed at Interstate 25 for several hours to prevent traffic from backing up at the I-70 closure, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
The has been under construction since February 2023 for a $16.4 million bridge replacement project. Construction is set to wrap up in October, according to a CDOT project website.
Construction crews were scheduled to place bridge girders this week, according to CDOT.
This is a developing story and may be updated.
