Truck driver, dog killed in horrific semi crash south of Pueblo; 2nd dog rescued

PUEBLO COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV) – A trucker and a dog were killed Friday morning after a semi flipped across the interstate south of Pueblo, plummeting partway off an overpass.

The rollover happened just after 7 a.m. near the Burnt Mill Road exit (mile marker 88).

First responders found a horrific scene: The semi was badly mangled in the crash, with the trailer ripped open and the cab completely over the bridge.

The semi was hauling hamburger patties, which littered the crash site.

According to State Patrol, the semi was traveling northbound on I-25 when it abruptly veered off the road, hitting a delineator post and then a guardrail as it continued into the median.

“The driver … steered to the right, causing the vehicle to jackknife,” State Patrol said.

The semi then collided with a guardrail on the southbound side of the interstate.

“As [the semi] continued northbound, the power unit went off the east side of the bridge, and the trailer began to roll,” State Patrol said. “… [The semi] continued northbound and the power unit came to rest against an embankment dangling from the bridge and the trailer came to rest on its left side, blocking the southbound lanes.”

A Chevy Silverado traveling southbound at the time of the rollover crashed into the top of the trailer after it started rolling. That driver was able to pull over in the shoulder afterward and was not injured.

Despite wearing a seat belt, the driver in the semi died at the scene shortly after the crash. The Pueblo County coroner identified him Saturday as 33-year-old Denzal Stewart of Bryan, Texas. Stewart was traveling with two dogs, one which also died on scene. The other dog survived and was rescued from the wreckage by firefighters. Its condition has not been released.

The scene required the response of multiple agencies and took several hours to clean up.

“PCSO personnel assisted with traffic control and in monitoring the stabilization of the truck and trailer, which hung precariously over [the] bridge,” the sheriff’s office said.

Along with State Patrol and the Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office, other agencies responding included firefighters from Pueblo, Pueblo West, Pueblo Rural and Rye fire departments; State Patrol; Colorado Department of Transportation; Flight For Life; AMR and the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation, but State Patrol says speeding, alcohol and drugs are currently not suspected factors.

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