A 19-year-old man died, and an 18-year-old driver was seriously injured in a crash involving a Colorado State Patrol vehicle on Interstate 70 in Arapahoe County on Wednesday morning.
The collision occurred at 6:45 a.m. as a trooper was investigating another crash involving a semitruck on westbound I-70, east of Byers, according to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP). The trooper's vehicle was partially blocking the left lane while tow trucks worked to remove the semitruck from the center median.
Authorities reported that the 18-year-old driver lost control of the Ford F-150, impacting the patrol car and sideswiping the passenger side before crashing into the center median, where it struck a guardrail and the rear driver side of the semitruck.
The passenger, identified as a 19-year-old male, sustained life-threatening injuries and later died at the hospital. The driver was transported with serious injuries, while the trooper, who was unharmed, was taken to the hospital as a precaution.
The name of the deceased passenger will be provided by the Arapahoe County Coroner's Office. The CSP's Vehicular Crimes Unit is investigating the incident.