PUEBLO — Traffic on Highway 50 is moving normally Friday morning after a driver crashed into the back of a tractor trailer while attempting to reach for a cellphone, according to the Pueblo Police Department.
The department responded to the crash at Highway 50 and Club Manor Drive in the westbound lanes around 5:10 a.m. The driver, who has "relatively minor injuries," told officers they were reaching for their phone when they hit the tractor trailer from behind.
Traffic was moving slowly through the area as crews worked on the crash scene. Around 6 a.m., the department said they were contacting the Pueblo Fire Department for cleanup assistance as there is "quite a bit of oil spilled on the roadway." The crash was cleared around 6:30 a.m.
This crash comes one day after the Colorado Department of Transportation announced over 15,000 crashes last year were caused by distracted driving.
“Distracted driving continues to be a prevalent issue on Colorado roads, but is easy to fix,” said Darrell Lingk, CDOT Director of the Office of Transportation Safety, in a release. “Every time you are tempted to reach for your phone or take your eyes off the road, stop and think about the lives at risk and make a safer decision.”
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