Crashes on icy roads kill 1 and hospitalize 5, officials say

One motorist was killed and at least five more were injured in the Pikes Peak region Saturday as dozens of crashes piled up on ice-slicked roads. Two Colorado Springs police officers were among the injured.

The culprit: Black ice that formed as a light, freezing drizzle fell through the day, combined with what police described as reckless drivers unprepared for a storm.

The Colorado State Patrol said one person died in a single-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes near mile marker 132. The wreck was reported about 6:40 p.m. No additional details were released.

Two police officers were injured about 8 p.m. as they stopped to investigate a crash on I-25 at Bijou Street, police said. Police said a tanker truck blew into the accident scene and slammed into their patrol cars.  One officer had to be extricated, and both were taken to Memorial Hospital.

“As far as I know, they’re doing OK,” said police Sgt. Kerry Duran. “No life-threatening or serious injuries.”
Colorado Springs police closed bridges around town Saturday afternoon as cars slid, and wrecks piled up from I-25 to neighborhood roads. A chain reaction crash on I-25 at Garden of the Gods Road about 6 p.m. injured three people and left southbound traffic at a standstill for two hours.

Eary Saturday morning, the interstate was closed for three hours as officers cleared the wreckage from 15 cars.
Colorado Springs Police Lt. Alan Scott delivered a pithy maxim to drivers: “Slow down,” he said. “The roads are very icy, especially on ramps and overpasses.”

The mercury in Colorado Springs bottomed out at 20 degrees, just three above a record low, the National Weather Service in Pueblo said. The NWS forecast called for freezing drizzle and very icy conditions to remain overnight, with fog and a chance of snow Sunday morning.

The city was on “accident alert,” meaning drivers involved in noninjury crashes where drugs and alcohol weren’t involved didn’t need to call police. Drivers were to exchange information and fill out an accident report later, police said.

“The big deal was the black ice. You just can’t see it,” Colorado Springs Police Lt. Elden Stromer said Saturday.

Stromer advised drivers to slow down and avoid tailgating, skills that have atrophied over months of summer driving.

“Leave lots of room between your vehicle and the one in front. A lot occurs because of following too closely,” he said. “Check your tires and have good equipment.”

Tire stores reported increased sales as drivers rushed to equip their cars for winter’s wrath.

“I have a big line of people out the door,” said Troy Tradel of Big O Tires, 1611 S. Nevada Ave.

The evening’s troubles on I-25 at Garden of the Gods Road began when a semi made a sudden lane change to avoid a car that was fishtailing on ice ahead, said Scott, the police lieutenant. A third vehicle rear-ended the semi, he said.

Then, when the driver of a pickup stopped to give aid, three more vehicles crashed in a chain reaction, Scott said.  Three people were taken to Penrose Main Hospital. Their injuries weren’t believed be life-threatening.

Traffic crashes multiplied Saturday evening as the temperatures dropped and wet roads froze anew.  More than a half-dozen crashes were reported in a 15-minute span about 5 p.m., the start of what became a hectic night for the city’s emergency responders. At 9:30 p.m., at least two rollovers were reported in Colorado Springs at the same time police and state patrol troopers were trying to restore order after a 20-car pileup at South Academy Boulevard and Bradley Road. No injuries were reported in the pileup.

“They’ve just been fast and steady all night long,” said Aaron Ruffalo, a supervisor in the city dispatch center.

A voice that blurted out from a police scanner put it best: “Colorado Springs is a sheet of ice.  Be careful.”