Pueblo, CO : Two people are dead following a pair of unrelated accidents on Interstate 25 on Saturday, December, 2nd 2017

Two people are dead following a pair of unrelated accidents on Interstate 25 Saturday evening.

The first crash involved a single vehicle and claimed the life of the 18-year-old male driver, Colorado State Patrol Trooper Gary Cutler told The Pueblo Chieftain

Cutler said the vehicle was southbound at about mile marker 106 when it veered off the side of the roadway for an unknown reason and rolled several times. One occupant of the vehicle was ejected.

A 17-year-old female who was occupying the back seat received severe bodily injuries and was flown to a Denver-area hospital for treatment. Her condition was unknown Saturday evening.

Another female was sitting in the front seat of the vehicle; her age and extent of injuries are also unknown.

The Colorado State Patrol has not yet revealed the identity of the deceased driver or the occupants.

Following the accident, the right lane of southbound I-25 was closed while police and medical personnel responded to the scene. The all-clear was given at about 7:45 p.m. Additional information was expected to be released Sunday.

At about 8:10 p.m. Saturday, Pueblo police dispatch received a call of a careless, reckless driver on a motorcycle on I-25. The reporting party informed dispatch that the motorcycle was heading northbound in the southbound lanes.

"Within seconds, we got another call that he had been hit," Sgt. Howard Jackson told The Chieftain. "He collided head-on with a (red Dodge Ram 2500) pick-up truck." Another truck, an F150, was also towed from the scene. Jackson said it appears the motorcycle caromed off the Dodge and into the Ford before coming to rest.

The 35-year-old male driver of the motorcycle was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not yet been released, pending notification of next of kin.

Jackson said he doesn't suspect drug or alcohol use on the part of the two pick-up truck drivers; whether or not the motorcycle driver was under the influence at the time of the crash is under investigation.

The accident resulted in the closure of both southbound lanes of the interstate at mile marker 95 for several hours. Jackson said it could be early Sunday morning before the highway is reopened.

During the closure, traffic was diverted off the highway at Indiana Avenue, south to Pueblo Boulevard and then back onto the interstate while investigators worked the scene.

Jackson theorizes that the motorcycle entered the interstate at the Pueblo Boulevard off-ramp.

Source :
Unrelated accidents claim 2 lives, close interstate