A vehicle pileup occurred on Interstate 25 in Denver, Colo., Saturday.
The multiple-crash was first reported at 10:50 a.m. The Colorado Department of Transportation has determined that the 104-vehicle pileup involved two separate accidents.
The northbound interstate was closed for nearly five hours while traffic was at a standstill for at least a mile long.
Motorist Darrell Barber told The Denver Post that the pileup could have been avoidable if commuters were driving a little safer. His Chevy Tahoe was hit multiple times during the crash.
“People were just driving too fast for conditions. It was totally preventable,” said Barber.
According to The Weather Channel, Winter Storm Titan caused an extensive snowfall. Meteorologists said that initially a fog froze the roads and then “one to three inches of snow…fell in under two hours.”
“As with a couple of multi-vehicle pileups earlier in the winter, you don’t need a major snowstorm. Sometimes quick bursts of snow are all it takes,” said meteorologist Jonathan Erdman.
The Denver Post reported that 6 to 8 inches of snow fell since 5 a.m. that morning.
Wrecked cars were taken to the neighboring South High School.
The Denver Police Department reported that 30 people were injured and taken immediately to the Denver Health Medical Center. One unidentified woman was killed.
All other uninjured motorists were transported onto a city bus. Investigators later questioned them about the incident.
Colorado DOT ordered four tankers and 100 snowplows to clear the icy roads. The highway was eventually reopened at 3:48 p.m. yesterday.
The department has suggested that motorists pack their cars with water, food, blankets, and all other emergency supplies for future travels.
Unfortunately, this is not the first vehicle pileup of the wintry season.
In December a pileup involving more than 30 vehicles occurred on Interstate 78 in eastern Pennsylvania. Additionally, just last month 30 people were injured in yet another pileup on a Pennsylvania turnpike. At least 100 vehicles were involved. No fatalities were reported in either event.
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