A multi-vehicle highway collision is one of the most frightening events that many drivers can imagine. The chain reaction caused by one vehicle can have devastating consequences to other drivers and passengers who just happen to be on the same stretch of road when events take a turn for the worse. Many in Colorado are aware of a terrible truck accident that recently took place on Highway 69 near Westcliffe.
Initial reports suggest that a tractor trailer struck a line of five cars that were stopped by a construction flag worker. The truck struck the last car in the line, and then ran into a ditch alongside the roadway. The driver attempted to come back onto the road, and subsequently struck the first car in the line, as well as the flag man. Once back on the road, the truck flipped upside down, spilling its load of 40-foot poles. The driver was ejected from the truck during the crash, and died from his injuries.
The construction worker, a 20-year-old Coal Creek resident, also died at the scene of the accident. In addition, three people who were in the two cars struck in the crash were transported to local hospitals and treated for injuries sustained during the crash. There is no mention of the severity of their condition.
The truck accident is still under investigation by the Colorado State Patrol. Troopers believe that the crash may be at least partially attributed to inattentiveness on the part of the truck driver. If this is the case, the surviving family of the decedents, as well as the injured survivor’s, could possibly pursue a claim against the trucking company. Once the investigation is complete and a full report is issued, there may be a fuller understanding of the cause of the crash.
Source: Fox 21 News, “Construction zone flagger, semi driver dead after highway crash,” Jaryd Wilson, Aug. 1, 2012
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