SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — Three individuals, including a 9-year-old girl, died in a semi-truck crash on westbound Interstate 70 early Sunday morning.
The incident occurred around 5:42 a.m. at milepost 208, leading to a nearly 12-hour closure of westbound lanes. According to the Colorado State Patrol (CSP), a Freightliner Cascadia semi was traveling downhill when it veered off the road into a right-hand curve. The driver reentered the roadway, struck the center barrier, and rolled, becoming fully engulfed in flames. No other vehicles were involved.
All occupants of the semi were pronounced dead at the scene, but confirmation of the exact number was delayed due to extensive damage. By Sunday evening, CSP confirmed three fatalities: a 37-year-old female driver and a 39-year-old male passenger, both from Deming, New Mexico, and a 9-year-old girl from Jacksonville, Florida. Names are pending release pending notification of next of kin.
The roadway reopened around 6 p.m. after wreckage clearance. An ongoing investigation seeks to determine the crash's cause.