About 70 vehicles were involved in a major pileup on a section of a Colorado highway, sending eight people to the hospital, amid hazardous cold weather, authorities said.
Troopers responded to an area of Interstate 70 near the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel on Tuesday, April 14, after receiving reports of a large multi-vehicle crash at around 2:50 p.m. local time, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The roadway was initially closed in both directions.
Further investigation revealed that the pileup occurred only on the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70, the Colorado State Patrol said in a statement. The westbound left lane of the highway was closed for medical staging, while the westbound right lane remained open and was moving slowly.
In an update, the Colorado State Patrol said an estimate from responders at the scene showed that about 70 vehicles were involved in the incident. Nineteen people were evaluated for injuries, including 11 people who declined to be taken to the hospital and eight who were transported to nearby area hospitals.
Of the eight people who were taken to area hospitals, the Colorado State Patrol said one person sustained "serious bodily injuries. The agency told USA TODAY on Wednesday, April 15, that it did not have additional updates on the incident or the conditions of those injured.
