3 killed in fiery semitrailer crash on I-70, state patrol confirms

Three people died in a fiery crash at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel that shut down part of Interstate 70 for more than 12 hours on Sunday, according to the Colorado State Patrol.

A semitrailer went off the right side of westbound I-70 west of the tunnel while approaching a curve early Sunday morning, swerved back onto the road, struck the center concrete barrier and rolled, according to a news release from the state patrol. The vehicle became “fully engulfed” in flames while rolling.

State patrol officials said the victims included a 37-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man from Deming, New Mexico, and a 9-year-old girl from Jacksonville, Florida. Investigators did not say how the trio was related.

All three died at the scene of the crash.

It took investigators hours to determine the number of people killed in the crash because of the extensive damage and fire, according to the state patrol.

The crash, which happened at about 5:45 a.m. Sunday, shut down westbound I-70 between exit 216 for Loveland Pass and exit 205 near Silverthorne. The highway reopened just before 6 p.m. Sunday.

The Summit County Coroner’s Office will identify the victims at a later date.

Anyone with information about the crash who has not yet spoken to investigators is asked to contact the Colorado State Patrol dispatch at 970-249-4392 and reference case VC250372.

This is a developing story and may be updated.

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