PUEBLO COUNTY – A crash involving a passenger bus caused major delays Sunday on southbound I-25, north of Pueblo.
According to Colorado State Patrol, the bus is a church charter bus from New Mexico. The group was at a conference in Denver and was heading back to New Mexico when they crashed.
The crash was between the Piñon exit and the Purcell Boulevard exit.
State Patrol said the bus was carrying 10 children and five adults. Initial reports said one person had died in the crash, but around 5 p.m., State Patrol confirmed that two people had died, one of them was the driver of the bus. State Patrol said the driver was a 22-year-old man who may have been suffering from a seizure or a medical episode. He was ejected from the bus.
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe Seminarians has identified Jason Paul Marshall as the passenger and Anthony Padilla as the driver killed in Sunday’s crash.
State Patrol also said that 14 ambulances responded to the scene. Twelve people were taken to Pueblo hospitals and one was flown to Penrose St. Francis. Injuries sustained in the crash range from minor to critical, according to State Patrol.
The bus reportedly went off the side of the highway and hit a bridge structure.
State Patrol earlier in the day said at some point the entire highway would be closed, but later at the press conference said the left southbound lane will remain open.
There is no frontage road route around this point of the highway, so drivers are highly encouraged to avoid traveling down southbound I-25 near the Pinon exit.
The investigation is ongoing and the identities of those who passed have not been released at this time.
“Our condolences go out to the family on this,” said Sergeant Blake White with Colorado State Patrol. “And that’s the big thing is that we do this investigation thorough [sic] and accurately.”
Witnesses to the crash are being asked to call CSP at 719-544-2424.
