A truck carrying five people, including three high school band members, was run over by a semi on Saturday, killing the driver and injuring four others.
The Colorado State Patrol says a mother, father and three Alameda High School students were on their way to a band competition at the Budweiser Event Center when the truck they were in lost control and was broadsided and then run over by a semi-truck.
Troopers say the maroon Dodge pickup was hauling the Alameda High School marching band trailer at the time of the accident. The trailer began to fishtail, causing the truck and trailer to veer left, directly in front of the semi-truck. The semi broadsided the driver side of the truck.
The truck and trailer slid off the left side of the road into the median, at which point the semi landed on top of the truck, troopers say.
The accident occurred on the northbound lanes of I-25 near the Mead exit. The truck and the semi came to rest in the median, and the southbound lanes of I-25 were shut down.
It took more than two hours for rescue crews to lift the semi off of the truck and extricate the passengers, according to CSP.
The driver, a 36-year-old man from Lakewood, was pronounced dead at the scene and four others, a woman and three teens, were transported to local hospitals, troopers say. One of the victims was airlifted to a local hospital and three others were transported via ambulance.
"It's a miracle we don't have more fatalities, considering it took so long to remove the people from the pickup," said Trooper R. Gilbert Mares.
The victims' identities and conditions were not immediately released.
"It's early in the investigation, but it looks like it may be weather related," Mares said.
The driver of the semi, whose identity was not released, was not injured in the crash.
The State Percussion Championships went on as planned on Saturday, but organizers say it was hard following the news of the crash.
The Alameda group in the crash was heading to the Budweiser Events Center where around 35 percussion groups from all over Colorado came to compete.
Alameda did not perform on Saturday but did want the championships to continue.
"It's very hard," said Ward Durrett, the championship's chief judge. "There had been talk of shutting the show down and we were asked not to by the folks at Alameda."
Alameda's band did stay to watch the performances knowing how much work everyone had put into them.
The Colorado State Patrol says a mother, father and three Alameda High School students were on their way to a band competition at the Budweiser Event Center when the truck they were in lost control and was broadsided and then run over by a semi-truck.
Troopers say the maroon Dodge pickup was hauling the Alameda High School marching band trailer at the time of the accident. The trailer began to fishtail, causing the truck and trailer to veer left, directly in front of the semi-truck. The semi broadsided the driver side of the truck.
The truck and trailer slid off the left side of the road into the median, at which point the semi landed on top of the truck, troopers say.
The accident occurred on the northbound lanes of I-25 near the Mead exit. The truck and the semi came to rest in the median, and the southbound lanes of I-25 were shut down.
It took more than two hours for rescue crews to lift the semi off of the truck and extricate the passengers, according to CSP.
The driver, a 36-year-old man from Lakewood, was pronounced dead at the scene and four others, a woman and three teens, were transported to local hospitals, troopers say. One of the victims was airlifted to a local hospital and three others were transported via ambulance.
"It's a miracle we don't have more fatalities, considering it took so long to remove the people from the pickup," said Trooper R. Gilbert Mares.
The victims' identities and conditions were not immediately released.
"It's early in the investigation, but it looks like it may be weather related," Mares said.
The driver of the semi, whose identity was not released, was not injured in the crash.
The State Percussion Championships went on as planned on Saturday, but organizers say it was hard following the news of the crash.
The Alameda group in the crash was heading to the Budweiser Events Center where around 35 percussion groups from all over Colorado came to compete.
Alameda did not perform on Saturday but did want the championships to continue.
"It's very hard," said Ward Durrett, the championship's chief judge. "There had been talk of shutting the show down and we were asked not to by the folks at Alameda."
Alameda's band did stay to watch the performances knowing how much work everyone had put into them.
