Police confirmed Friday that several people were killed and others were injured in a fiery pileup involving multiple vehicles on Interstate 70 west of Denver, Colorado.
Lakewood Police Department’s Ty Countryman said Thursday evening that at least one person was killed in the crash, but did not know the total number of fatalities. Ten people were hospitalized following the wreck. A YouTuber named Burger Planet filmed himself while driving as the truck whizzed past him, leaving him in shock at the driver’s speed.
The deadly 28-vehicle pileup occurred after a tractor-trailer driving east down a hill crashed into traffic during rush hour, sparking a massive fire. Video footage from a news helicopter showed flames whipping off the vehicles and what appeared to be lumber spilled across the interstate. The incident reportedly took place at 4:50 p.m. local time.
A towering plume of black smoke was seen for miles as firefighters doused the burned-out shells of several vehicles.
West Metro Fire Rescue tweeted that a firefighter suffered minor injuries when he was hit by debris, possibly from an exploding tire. The driver potentially faces vehicular homicide charges, according to CNN. He is now in police custody.
The highway is expected to remain closed for several hours.
The AP contributed to this report.
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