GLENWOOD CANYON, Colo. — Interstate 70 in Glenwood Canyon reopened early Saturday morning after a major rollover crash.
Interstate 70 was shut down in Glenwood Canyon on Friday afternoon after a major rollover crash, officials said, and eastbound I-70 wasn't expected to reopen for 12 hours. The westbound lanes reopened shortly after 3:30 p.m. The eastbound lanes reopened sometime after midnight Saturday.
The crash happened shortly after noon in the eastbound lanes of the highway, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Both directions of the highway were closed while crews worked to remove the wreckage and investigate the crash.
Colorado State Patrol said just after 7 p.m. that two towing companies were on the scene and working with CDOT to clear the crash scene.
"There is major clean up needed by hand, not to mention the mangled truck across all lanes EB," CSP Eagle tweeted.
Photos the agency tweeted showed a semi-truck that had flipped over and crushed the cab. The truck's trailer was also nearly flattened, according to the photos.
CSP said the driver, a 54-year-old man, of the truck had to be cut out with the jaws of life. He was taken by helicopter to a hospital with life-threatening injuries, CSP said.
PHOTOs from the scene.
— CSP Eagle (@CSP_Eagle) May 29, 2021
Blaine Ward Towing and Girardi’s Towing are both on scene. The tow companies and CDOT are working as quickly and safely as possible to clear this serious crash. There is major clean up needed by hand, not to mention the mangled truck across all lanes EB. https://t.co/SMivVYl9js pic.twitter.com/zbbQqKZAA2
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
