Two pickups, an ambulance and a semi-truck were caught off-guard by icy October weather this morning.
Colorado State Patrol says it all started around 4:55 a.m. when a pickup spun out on westbound I-70 just east of the Eisenhower-Johnson tunnels. Pavement was slick and icy from a dusting of fresh snow and pre-dawn temperatures in the twenties.
Twenty minutes later an ambulance spun out heading to the scene. Thirty minutes after that a pickup slid off the road and rolled once, landing on its roof.
Miraculously, no one was injured. Traffic was detouring onto U.S. Highway 6 at Loveland Pass until a semi-truck got stuck below the Seven Sisters slide path just above Loveland Ski Area.
After that traffic was backed up for nearly three miles. The accidents and lanes were cleared by 7:30 a.m., not long after the pavement thawed.
Winter is coming
Chilly October weather can be a headache for drivers but a blessing for skiers and riders.
Local ski areas were posting photos all weekend of fresh snow coating the mountains. There’s not nearly enough to slide on yet, but snowguns are churning almost daily. The countdown is on.
Preview image via Clear Creek County Sheriff on FB. Gallery images via A-Basin, Breckenridge and Copper via FB.