VAIL, Colo. – Drivers on I-70 through the mountains should expect delays throughout the day Friday as crews work to recover a semi that went off the highway and sparked a small fire.
The crash occurred near mile marker 182 at about 5 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters said a semi went over an embankment and wound up about 300 feet off the highway in a deep canyon. The driver was killed, troopers said.
The truck caught fire and the flames spread to nearby plants. Firefighters lowered a hose into the canyon and were able to put the fire out by 6:30 p.m.
I-70 was closed because of the crash but the highway was reopened by 8:45 p.m. Transportation officials planned to close I-70 again at 9:30 Friday morning in order to place equipment that crews will use to pull the truck out of the canyon. The entire highway will be closed for a short time and then one eastbound lane will be open throughout the day, CDOT said.
The driver, a 64-year-old man from California, has not been identified. Troopers said there were no other injuries associated with the crash.
