FREMONT COUNTY – Colorado State Patrol said a Pueblo West man died from his injuries after he hit an elk while riding a motorcycle on Highway 50 near the Fremont/Pueblo County line Thursday morning.
Troopers tell News5 it happened around 5:15 a.m. when 52-year-old Nick Lucero was riding west on Highway 50 when he hit the animal just east of Penrose.
Troopers said a man driving a Ford F-150 behind the motorcycle wasn’t able to avoid Lucero after he crashed and ran him over. Lucero was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the truck was not hurt.
CSP said no charges have been filed at this time, but the crash remains under investigation. They also alcohol or drug use do not appear to be factors in the crash.
That crash shut down westbound lanes of Highway 50 for several hours and it also prompted a brief shutdown of eastbound lanes until 8:14 a.m.
It was one of two crashes that caused problems for westbound travelers from the Pueblo area. Another crash blocked all lanes of the highway just west of Purcell Boulevard around 6:50 a.m.
That crash was removed within an hour.
