DENVER — At least two separate multi-vehicle pileups on Interstate 25, involving more than 70 cars, snarled traffic for hours in Denver and near Pueblo as the winter weather caused traffic headaches and road closures in other parts of Colorado Sunday.
Around 4 p.m., Denver police tweeted they were investigating a multiple-vehicle crash on northbound I-25 near Emerson. The Denver Fire Department said at least 50 vehicles were involved. No serious injuries were reported.
The northbound lanes were closed in the area with traffic being diverted onto surface streets. All northbound lanes eventually reopened about two hours later.
The Denver Police Department went on accident alert following the crashes, which is being investigated as to the cause. There is no word if any citations were issued.
Just hours earlier, a multiple-vehicle crash on southbound I-25 north of Pueblo near the Purcell exit caused at least a 20-vehicle pileup, according to Denver7 news partner, KOAA-TV.
The Colorado Springs news outlet reported five people were injured in the crash. No fatalities were reported. Authorities said the crash was weather-related and crews closed lanes in the area as they cleared vehicles from the road.
MORE: Closings and Delays | Full forecast | Radars | Traffic | Weather Page | 24/7 Weather Stream | 24/7 Radar Stream
The Eastern Plains is seeing weather-related crashes as well. Both directions of Interstate 70 near Limon were closed Sunday afternoon due to multiple crashes and adverse conditions. The number of injuries is unknown. The highway reopened hours later.
High country travel was also affected by the winter weather. A crash shut down westbound I-70 near Copper Mountain for about an hour, snarling traffic for miles. Around 5 p.m., the eastbound lanes were closed at the Loveland Pass exit due to multiple spin-outs and slide-offs.
In a statement sent Sunday evening, the Colorado Department of Transportation said despite these incidents, there were a relatively low number of accidents throughout the weekend due to many people choosing to stay home. They urged motorists to slow down and give themselves plenty of room for the car ahead.
Light snow is expected to continue to fallover the Front Range and Eastern Plains Sunday. Snowfall totalsare forecast to be between 2 to 4 inches across the plains and the Denver area before the system moves out Monday, making for possible hazardous driving conditions for the morning commute.
