Anyone who has ever traveled down I-70 next to a big rig behemoth has likely felt their much smaller passenger vehicle shuddering from the sway of the semitruck doing 70 mph or greater.
It’s a given that those who share the roads with these large, commercial trucks face an enhanced risk if the situation deteriorates rapidly on the road. Such was the case on the start of the recent Labor Day weekend on Interstate 70 when a semitruck caused a serious accident in Dillon.
Accident closed westbound lanes
On Sept, 4, on the morning of the start of the long Labor Day weekend, a collision between a semitruck and a car caused major delays for motorists heading out for the holiday.
According to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), the big rig struck the passenger vehicle before climbing the embankment and spilling its cargo.
At least 3 injured in semitruck crash
The semitruck driver and the driver of the passenger vehicle, as well as another occupant in the motorist’s car, were all injured in the collision. The big rig driver had to be evacuated from the accident scene by medical helicopter. The driver and passenger of the car that the semi struck were transported by ambulance to a local medical facility. None of the conditions of the injured drivers or passenger are known.
Delays were extensive
Dirt from the mountain cascaded down onto the westbound lanes from the impact of the semitruck, further impeding traffic flow. The westbound lanes near the Eisenhower-Johnson Tunnel remained shut down until just past noon.
A semi crash closed westbound Interstate 70 near for several hours on Friday morning, as many people were starting to head to the mountains for the Labor Day holiday weekend. Just after noon the highway was reopened, but big delays remained in effect.
Commercial truck crashes among most deadly
The sheer size and weight disparity between a fully-loaded commercial semitruck and a much smaller and lighter passenger vehicle mean that the potential for catastrophic injuries and even death are quite high for the hapless motorists in the path of semitrucks. In this instance, the driver of the big rig may actually have been more seriously wounded from the secondary crash into the mountainside, however.
If you have the misfortune of getting into a motor vehicle accident with a large, commercial truck, learn about your rights to seek compensation under the laws of the state of Colorado.