A semi-truck driver was arrested after the truck went off the road and dumped its load of pipe and angle iron on top of five other vehicles, killing one person.
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo — A semi-truck driver was being held on vehicular homicide and vehicular assault charges after a crash that killed one person Tuesday on Highway 285 near Conifer.
The highway was closed in both directions for about 14 hours after the crash, which happened around 5 p.m. The Colorado State Patrol said the semi was going south when it went off the edge of the road, rolled onto its side and dumped its load of pipe and angle iron on top of five other vehicles.
RELATED: US 285 reopens after 14-hour closure following deadly crash involving semi truck
The driver of one of those vehicles, a gold Ford F-250, died on the scene. The Jefferson County Coroner’s Office identified him as Scott Miller, 64.
The driver of one of the other vehicles, a 2003 Subaru Legacy, suffered serious injuries, CSP said.
CSP said the driver of the semi, 47-year-old Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza, was arrested Tuesday night. He is being held on charges including vehicular homicide and vehicular assault.
The semi went through cable barriers in the median and through the guardrail, then dangled off the edge of the roadway.
Troopers said speed is being considered the primary factor in the crash, which remains under investigation.
Statistics from CSP show this was at least the fifth crash at or within two miles of Shaffers Crossing this year. In records dating back to September 2011, CSP has recorded 338 crashes within a two-mile stretch.
According to CSP, Highway 285 is the Colorado highway with the fifth-most speeders ticketed for going more than 20 mph faster than the speed limit. In 2023, CSP issued 791 tickets to drivers going faster than 20 mph on all of Highway 285, not just near Shaffers Crossing.
RELATED: Why doesn’t Highway 285 near Shaffers Crossing have concrete barriers?
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