Hear from CSP after 4 patrol automobiles hit in secondary crashes over vacation weekend

DENVER — Colorado State Patrol is sounding the alarm after 4 of its patrol automobiles had been hit whereas helping different drivers over a snowy President’s Day weekend – usually one of many busiest in Colorado’s excessive nation.

The company publicly urged drivers to decelerate and transfer over after the string of incidents throughout a weekend that noticed wintry climate and slick roads snarl already-busy site visitors with crashes and slowdowns. In 4 of these crashes – one Friday, one Saturday and two on Sunday – CSP automobiles had been hit in so-called secondary crashes.

Not one of the troopers had been injured. Right here’s a fast take a look at the incidents:

• Round 7:15 p.m. Friday, a car that was being pulled over on Interstate 25 close to Colorado Springs for driving with out headlights hit a guardrail and spun again into the roadway, hitting the CSP patrol automobile. That driver was taken to the hospital with accidents and arrested for DUI. The trooper was not injured.
• Simply after 9 a.m. Saturday, a CSP patrol automobile blocking a lane of Interstate 70 as a part of the response to a separate crash close to New Fort was hit by one other automobile. Neither the driving force nor the trooper had been injured.
• Round 1:30 a.m. Sunday, a semi truck hit the aspect of a patrol automobile that was stopped with its lights on whereas serving to one other driver. The trooper was exterior of the automobile setting out site visitors cones. No accidents had been reported.
• Lower than six hours later, a driver that was rear-ended would then hit a CSP  car on northbound I-25 because the trooper was establishing a security closure for low visibility and slick roads.

Denver7 investigator and anchor Jaclyn Allen wished to comply with up with CSP and obtained on the telephone with Trooper Sherri Mendez to listen to her message after the crashes.
She stated CSP might generally see a number of such crashes in a month, however that 4 in a weekend is abnormally excessive.

“Simply do not let winter winter climate idiot you into considering that, simply because you’ve gotten four-wheel drive, that you would be able to drive regular velocity,” Mendez stated. “It’s important to decelerate, clearly, as a result of there are some slick spots that folks might not see, and you may get in a crash similar to that.”

In a separate incident, a driver who obtained out of his automobile on US 36 in Boulder was killed after two automobiles hit him. The reason for that crash was not instantly identified.

Mendez reminded motorists of the state’s Transfer Over legislation, which initially aimed to guard police and emergency responders and was expanded in 2023 to incorporate all drivers on the aspect of a Colorado freeway. Anybody who sees a stationary or disabled car with its hazards on alongside the aspect of a freeway should transfer over, or decelerate to twenty mph under the velocity restrict when transferring over just isn’t safely doable.

The legislation was expanded after what authorities stated was the deadliest 12 months on Colorado roads in additional than three a long time in 2022.

“We simply need the general public to know that we’re out right here working the roadways, and we, too, need to return dwelling to our households protected and sound,” Mendez stated.

She stated every of the crashes involving CSP troopers over the weekend had been associated to drivers going too quick in dangerous climate. A excessive nation towing specialist Denver7 spoke with over the weekend stated one easy change to driving habits will assist deliver down the variety of crashes.

“The motoring public’s notion of house between folks has gotten manner too small,” stated Charlie Stubblefield, the proprietor of Mountain Restoration. “If we stayed again from each other and we stored gaps in order that we might react to what’s taking place in entrance of us, we might be loads higher off.”