Updated: 12:44
Both directions of I-70 are closed in Wheat Ridge after a semi-truck overturned and sent pipes spilling across the highway.
Wheat Ridge police spokesman Eric Kellogg said a tractor-trailer was traveling eastbound Thursday morning when it overturned and its load – which appeared to be metal pipes – was thrown into the westbound lane, where it collided with another vehicle carrying five passengers.
Three of the vehicle’s occupants were killed in the accident, and the other two passengers were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver was also taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Two other vehicles were involved in the accident, but police reported no further injuries.
Kellogg said the department’s investigation into the crash is still in its early stages and cannot rule out speeding or impairment. They are also looking into the possibility that another vehicle was involved in the crash but fled the scene.
“We are currently in the process of interviewing most of our informants to determine if there was another vehicle that may have left the scene of the accident or gone somewhere else,” Kellogg said.
Motorists are asked to use alternate routes. Traffic is expected to be heavy in the area for several hours as emergency crews work to clear the debris. The eastbound lanes of I-70 are closed at 6th Avenue and the westbound lanes are closed at Kipling Street.
