Colorado’s I-25 is partially closed after a coal train derailed off a bridge and killed a semi-truck driver, authorities say
By Chris Boyette and Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN
(CNN) — A portion of Colorado’s Interstate 25 has been shut down in both directions after a coal train derailed off a bridge and onto the roadway Sunday afternoon, killing a semi-truck driver, state authorities said.
Crews are working to clear toppled train cars and spilled coal at the the derailment site near the city of Pueblo, which lies about 45 miles south of Colorado Springs, the Colorado State Patrol said.
The train operator, BNSF Railway, said its personnel are assisting in the cleanup.
The National Transportation Safety Board said it has begun its investigation at the scene, where 30 train cars derailed and caused a partial bridge collapse. Images of the scene posted online by the state patrol show several cars toppled over the side of the bridge and nearby embankment, blanketing the ground with coal.
A semi-tractor trailer passing underneath the bridge at the time of the collapse became trapped between the bridge and coal cars, the federal agency said Monday. The male driver of the truck was killed, state patrol spokesperson Gary Cutler told CNN. No other details on the victim were provided.
There were no reported injuries among BNSF crew members, the rail company said.
The interstate closure extends approximately 12 miles beginning at Exit 100B in Pueblo and extending northward to Exit 110, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Both northbound and southbound lanes remained closed as of Monday evening.
“This will be an extended closure. Drivers heading between Pueblo and Colorado Springs must detour,” the transportation department said in a closure notice.
The National Transportation Safety Board said a preliminary investigation report is expected to be completed within 30 days.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said he has communicated with Colorado Governor Jared Polis about the incident and has been briefed by the Federal Railroad and Federal Highway Administrations. US Department of Transportation staff were headed to the scene Sunday night, he said.
“State & local authorities are leading the immediate emergency response, and we will be ready to help in any way needed to support a swift return to normal use for the highway and rail routes affected,” Buttigieg said.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
CNN’s Michelle Watson contributed to this report.
