Updated 12:44 p.m.
Both directions of I-70 are closed in Wheat Ridge after a semi-truck rolled over, spilling pipes across the highway.
Wheat Ridge Police Department spokesperson Eric Kellogg said a semi-truck was traveling eastbound Thursday morning when it tipped over, sending its cargo, which appears to be metal pipes, into the westbound lanes, where it collided with another vehicle, which was carrying five passengers.
The crash killed three of the people inside that vehicle, and the other two passengers went to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver was also transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Two additional vehicles were also involved in the crash, but police reported no other injuries.
Kellogg said the department’s investigation into the crash is still in its early phases, and they cannot rule out excessive 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 reporting parties to figure out if there was an additional vehicle that may have left the scene or went to some other place,” Kellogg said.
Drivers are encouraged to seek alternate routes. Traffic is expected to be heavy in the area for several hours as crews work to clean up the debris. Eastbound I-70 lanes are closed at 6th Avenue and westbound lanes are closed at Kipling Street.
