Several people were killed on Thursday, according to the Denver Post, and at least ten were injured in a fiery multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 70 west of the city during the evening commute when a tractor-trailer careened into several other vehicles.
Flames engulfed a total of three trucks and 12 cars, Ty Countryman, a spokesman for the police department in Lakewood, Colorado, told reporters.
'The vehicle came down and ended up colliding with slower traffic, causing a very big chain-reaction crash that also ignited and started a fire,' Countryman said, adding that ten people injured were taken to local hospitals.
A traffic crash on Interstate 70 near Denver on Thursday afternoon left multiple people dead
The crash involved 12 cars and three semis and 10 people were taken to hospital with injuries
The crash occurred near a bridge overpass, which was damaged in the blaze and is now being looked at by engineers
Bystanders at the side of the road watched in horror at the carnage as fire crews worked hard to put out the blaze
One of the semi tricks can be seen next to several cars including a Jeep and another SUV that were involved
One of the trucks was carrying lumber, which toppled onto the road fueling the fire
Wooden beams and planks were seen strewn across the highway like matchsticks as the fire took hold
Traffic on I-70 where the crash occurred was already backed up because of an earlier accident involving a school bus, a semitrailer and a sedan.
All of the children aboard the bus were reported to be okay with just minor injuries. Some people were taken to a hospital for further examination. But worse was to come.
In the moments before the second more devastating accident, a YouTuber inadvertently captured the speeding big rig zooming along the shoulder, flying past his own car which was stuck in slow-moving traffic caused by the first crash.
The video, from Burger Planet, shows the speeding semi passing stopped vehicles at a colossal speed.
The camera is then rotated around to show a large plume of thick black smoke rising from where I-70 goes under Denver West Colorado Mills Parkway. The big rig had crashed and exploded into flames, igniting a number of other vehicles in its path.
Video footage of the accident's aftermath showed flames raging beneath and around the overpass. Black smoke could be seen rising into the air around the scene.
A YouTuber was filming his journey when the speeding big rig blew past him at breakneck speed taking him by surprise
The shock on YouTuber Burger Planet's face is clear, as he notes the speed of the big rig flying by
The driver turned his camera around and within a few moments a thick black plume of smoke rose into the sky
The big rig was one of three that were reportedly involved in the accident, each of them bursting into flames
It's hard to distinguish any type of car or truck in this photo of a raging inferno on Interstate 70
From above the scale of the accident is clear with multiple vehicles ablaze
A preliminary investigation suggests the driver lost control of the semi-truck, resulting in the explosion and fire
Engineers have now been called in to check on the stability of the bridge after the blaze hit
The road will also have to be resurfaced after it began to melt under the scorching temperatures
The blaze lasted for several hours after a diesel spill and lumber only added fuel to the fire
The runaway semi-truck plowed into standstill traffic, causing explosions and fire as several more vehicles were hit
One of the trucks was carrying lumber. That, coupled with a diesel spill, only added fuel to the fire.
A stretch of Interstate 70, a major east-west highway route that runs through Denver into the Rocky mountains, was closed in both directions for several hours and it is unlikely to reopen before Friday morning's commute.
Countrymen said engineers from the Colorado Transportation Department were inspecting the overpass bridge for possible structural damage from the fire. There is also road damage from the inferno.
Preliminary investigations suggest the driver of the semi lost control resulting in the explosions and fire as several other vehicles were hit.
An estimated 12 passenger vehicles and three semis were involved in the crash
Thick smoke is seen billowing from the scene of the crash in which 'multiple people' lost their lives on Thursday afternoon
It took fire crews several hours to bring the blaze under control and even late into the evening there were still 'hot spots'
There were numerous explosions as a result of the accident yet traffic was still driving on the bridge directly above
Helicopter footage shows the blaze in its early stages before the fire really took hold
Investigators are looking at whether the truck lost its cargo, experienced brake failure or had some other mechanical issue that left the eighteen-wheeler unable to stop.
It was not immediately clear which vehicles accounted for the fatalities. None of the victims have yet been identified.
A West Metro Fire Rescue firefighter was also injured by an explosion, fire officials said.
The firefighter was hit by debris, possibly an exploding tire. His injuries were described as minor.
A bridge over the Denver crash site was damaged in the blaze, and engineers from the Colorado Department of Transportation responded to check its stability
Emergency services described the scene as one of 'carnage' as fire consumed all of the vehicles involved in the accident
At 7:15pm on Thursday officials said the highway would remain closed in both directions for several more hours at least and may not open for Friday morning's commute
Post a Comment