Updated: Wednesday, February 18, 1:07 p.m.
A fifth person has died following a massive crash Tuesday morning on Interstate 25 on the south side of Pueblo. The fifth fatality was a male who died of his injuries after being transported to the hospital. He was one of 29 people hospitalized following the crash.
Colorado State Patrol said four other people died at the scene. Two were adult males from Walsenburg. The other two were adult females, one from Rye and one from Pueblo.
A dust storm brought on by high winds and dry conditions was a factor in the crash, according to the state authorities. It included 29 passenger vehicles and seven semis. The full cause of the crash remains under investigation.
The crash closed both directions of the interstate for several hours. Northbound lanes, the site of the initial crash, were closed until about 11:40 p.m. Tuesday night.
One of the vehicles in the crash was a pickup hauling 30 sheep and a goat in a trailer. Four of the sheep did not survive the incident, according to the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.
Original Story Below
Four people are confirmed dead following a Tuesday morning crash on Interstate 25 just south of Pueblo that closed the highway for hours.
The interstate remained closed northbound early Tuesday afternoon as Colorado State Patrol worked to clear more than 30 vehicles from the crash site, including six semis. CSP said in a release that 29 other people have been taken to the hospital, but that it’s unknown how many people are involved or the full extent of the injuries.
The crash occurred just after 10 a.m. at mile marker 92, three miles south of Pueblo Boulevard. It remains under investigation, though CSP said there was low to no visibility at the time of the crash due to heavy winds and blowing dirt.
Blowing dust continued to lower visibility on I-25 from Pueblo south to Trinidad Tuesday afternoon as CSP urged drivers to postpone travel if possible. The high winds on top of extremely dry conditions have also placed the entire I-25 corridor under red flag fire warnings until Tuesday evening. That means conditions are right for the start and rapid spread of fire.
