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VAIL PASS — A 60 to 75 vehicle pileup on Vail Pass Monday resulted in one fatality and forced officials to close Interstate 70 in both directions.
The initial accident occurred at 1:22 p.m. on the westbound side of I-70 at mile marker 189 in Eagle County.
The eastbound lane was subsequently closed after the pileup to allow emergency vehicles access to the scene.
Colorado State Patrol sent out a mutual aid request for backup shortly after arriving on the scene and many of those drivers who sustained injuries were transported to St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center for treatment.
“We have five patients from the accident.
Two critical, two serious and one fair,” said Bev Lilly, the public information officer at Summit Medical Center.
High winds and blowing snow on Monday made driving conditions almost impossible and Flight for Life services to Denver were grounded due to adverse weather.
“If Flight for Life was available I’m sure they would be transporting patients to Denver, it’s that serious,” Lily added.
At the end of Monday evening St. Anthony’s Medical Center released a statement saying they received six patients in total.
Of the six, two adult females are in critical condition and one male child has been upgraded to serious condition.
The three patients will be transfered to received medical care in Denver as soon as the weather permits.
Laura Reichardt, a Vail Mountain School student and intern at the Summit Daily News, was traveling westbound on I-70 at 1:30 p.m. on Monday when she stopped in traffic backed up from the acccident.
“There was a semi-truck jack knifed across the road with a crumpled Jeep and crushed van just to the side,” Reichardt said.
“Cars were plowed into the snow on either side of the road, and there was a mobile home completely on it’s side.”
According to Reichardt, people at the scene were exiting their cars and aiding ambulance crews that arrived to transport the injured.
“My car was one of the few that didn’t crash into the snowbank so the four kids that were in the crumpled Jeep piled into my car to get warm,” said Reichardt, who added that the driver of the Jeep and his wife were in critical condition after the accident.
According to the Vail Daily, some of those stranded on the interstate were able to find shelter at the Vail Interfaith Chapel were free lodging was offered until the highway reopened.
The initial accident occurred at 1:22 p.m. on the westbound side of I-70 at mile marker 189 in Eagle County.
The eastbound lane was subsequently closed after the pileup to allow emergency vehicles access to the scene.
Colorado State Patrol sent out a mutual aid request for backup shortly after arriving on the scene and many of those drivers who sustained injuries were transported to St. Anthony's Summit Medical Center for treatment.
“We have five patients from the accident.
Two critical, two serious and one fair,” said Bev Lilly, the public information officer at Summit Medical Center.
High winds and blowing snow on Monday made driving conditions almost impossible and Flight for Life services to Denver were grounded due to adverse weather.
“If Flight for Life was available I’m sure they would be transporting patients to Denver, it’s that serious,” Lily added.
At the end of Monday evening St. Anthony’s Medical Center released a statement saying they received six patients in total.
Of the six, two adult females are in critical condition and one male child has been upgraded to serious condition.
The three patients will be transfered to received medical care in Denver as soon as the weather permits.
Laura Reichardt, a Vail Mountain School student and intern at the Summit Daily News, was traveling westbound on I-70 at 1:30 p.m. on Monday when she stopped in traffic backed up from the acccident.
“There was a semi-truck jack knifed across the road with a crumpled Jeep and crushed van just to the side,” Reichardt said.
“Cars were plowed into the snow on either side of the road, and there was a mobile home completely on it’s side.”
According to Reichardt, people at the scene were exiting their cars and aiding ambulance crews that arrived to transport the injured.
“My car was one of the few that didn’t crash into the snowbank so the four kids that were in the crumpled Jeep piled into my car to get warm,” said Reichardt, who added that the driver of the Jeep and his wife were in critical condition after the accident.
According to the Vail Daily, some of those stranded on the interstate were able to find shelter at the Vail Interfaith Chapel were free lodging was offered until the highway reopened.
