BRIGHTON, Colo. — A fatal crash at Highway 85 and 136th Ave. initially closed the entire intersection Wednesday morning for more than two hours as the Brighton Police Department investigated.
The crash happened around 3:2o a.m. Wednesday, according to a news release about 7 hours later. Brighton police confirmed one person was killed.
The initial investigation from the Brighton Police Department's Traffic Safety Unit found a man driving a Volkswagen SUV traveling northbound on Highway 85 drifted off the road and hit a stoplight pole at the intersection with E. 136th Ave.
The driver was ejected from the SUV upon impact, according to Brighton police. First responders tried to save the man's life, but he was ultimately pronounced dead at the scene. The coroner's office will release the driver's identity once his family is notified.
The crash sparked a grass fire in the area that Brighton Fire Rescue was able to extinguish.
Morning commuters were advised to find an alternative route around the intersection. Brighton police suggested drivers use Interstate 76 if possible.
Eastbound and westbound lanes of the intersection reopened around 6:50 a.m. Wednesday, Brighton police said. However the northbound and southbound lanes of Highway 85 remain closed, as of 10:38 a.m. Wednesday.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call the Brighton Police Department tip line at 303-655-8740.
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