Colorado highway pileup involving 70 vehicles sends 8 to hospital

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.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement that his office was "closely monitoring the serious multi-vehicle crash" and asked the public to follow official guidance and to avoid the area as emergency crews responded to the scene.

The Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel, located about 60 miles west of Denver on Interstate 70, is a key connection for motorists traveling from the eastern slope of the Rocky Mountains to the western slope, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Massive pileup occurred during a series of crashes on Colorado highway

Before the large pileup, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said six crashes had occurred on the morning of April 14. Five crashes occurred on a section of westbound Interstate 70, and another happened on Highway 40.

"Some have been single vehicle; others, multiple," the sheriff's office said in a statement on social media. "Bottom line, we need folks to slow down, increase following distance, and make it to their destination safely."

The sheriff's office then reported at around 3 p.m. local time that a "multi-vehicle, injury crash" had occurred on the eastbound lanes of Highway 6 on-ramp to Interstate 70 by the Loveland Ski Area. At the time, the sheriff's office had estimated that at least 75 vehicles were involved in the incident, and the crash was blocking a section of the highway.

"The closure is due to a severe multi-vehicle crash on the east side of Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel that took place this afternoon," the Colorado Department of Transportation said in a statement. "However, due to the severity of the crash, drivers approaching the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel should expect to be turned around for the next several hours."

Following the incident, the Colorado State Patrol said all eastbound Interstate 70 was estimated to be closed for four to six hours. By around 8:10 p.m. local time, the sheriff's office said the section of the highway had reopened.

The sheriff's office later reported that the westbound Interstate 70 at the Eisenhower-Johnson Memorial Tunnel was briefly closed for an unrelated incident involving a "pickup truck and trailer that jack-knifed." All westbound lanes were then reopened.

Crash happened amid snowy weather

The Colorado Department of Transportation previously warned motorists that winter driving conditions were being reported throughout the Interstate 70 Mountain Corridor on April 14. The department advised motorists to exercise caution and prepare for delays.

Snow showers were expected in the mountains through the evening of April 14, according to the National Weather Service's office in Boulder, Colorado.

"Snow showers, a few briefly heavy, for the mountains through this evening," the weather service said on X on the morning of April 14. "Some slick travel over higher mountain passes early this morning and again this evening."