The driver of an SUV who collided head-on with a dump truck on U.S. 6 east of Eagle on Thursday was seriously injured in the crash while the truck driver was unharmed, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
Investigators do not believe alcohol, drugs or excessive speed were factors in the collision that sparked a now-contained wildfire and closed Interstate 70 and U.S. 6 in both directions for several hours Thursday afternoon.
The 71-year-old driver of the Volvo SUV was traveling westbound on U.S. 6 when he drifted into oncoming traffic, colliding with the truck headed eastbound driven by a 40-year-old man from Gypsum, said Master Trooper Gary Cutler.
Cutler also clarified it was the SUV, not the truck, that caught fire in the collision, igniting dry grass nearby and starting the 27-acre Eagle River fire. Earlier reports stated the truck had caught fire.
No citations have yet been issued in the crash, Cutler said.
I-70 is now open in both directions, but U.S. 6 remains closed in both directions near Eagle, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation.
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