WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) on Friday acknowledged the agency is "reviewing whether additional measures are necessary" in a work zone after a semi-truck rolled over on Interstate 70 in Wheat Ridge, killing three people.
The crash happened around 8:21 a.m. between Ward Rd. and 32nd Ave., according to Eric Kellogg, division chief of the Wheat Ridge Police Department.
The semi — which was carrying large, blue plastic piping — was traveling east along I-70 when it flipped over. As it crashed onto the road, the piping came off the truck and spilled onto the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-70, causing at least three other vehicles to crash, Kellogg said.
Three people inside one of those vehicles were killed. Family members identified them as Ruben Rodriguez, 33, Juliana Rodriguez Plata, 37, and Juliana's mother, Luz Melba Martinez. Juliana's father, Carlos Joaquin Plata, and the couple's 1-year-old son, Daniel "Danny," were also in the car and were injured in the crash.
The driver of the semi-truck was also injured, Kellogg said.
Wheat Ridge
Honeymoon-bound newlyweds killed after semi rolls over on I-70 in Wheat Ridge
CDOT has been working on replacing the aging bridge since February 2023. The project is expected to continue through October.
"I'm not a civil engineer, so I'm sure there's a lot more that goes into it, but it just doesn't seem like they're protecting the community in a way that they should right through there," said Ashley Pitman, a Denver7 viewer who sent an email after the crash expressing concerns about safety in the area.
CDOT said the speed limit in the area is reduced from 65 to 60 mph while construction continues. A spokesperson for CDOT also acknowledged the project team is aware of one other crash that occurred in the work zone but could not provide additional details.
On Friday morning, Denver7's Traffic Anchor Jayson Luber noticed a different semi-truck nearly lost control, traveling along the same area.
VIDEO: This morning, @Denver7Traffic noticed a semi wobbling a bit (0:07-0:10) along the exact curve where another semi rolled yesterday, killing 3 people. The bridge is under construction.@ColoradoDOT is "reviewing whether additional measures are necessary for this work zone" pic.twitter.com/f0GJKcJJvr
— Natalie Chuck Denver7 (@NatalieChuck) August 16, 2024
"We all know that people are driving really fast through there," said Pitman.
The Wheat Ridge Police Department's Crash and Traffic team is investigating the crash. On Friday, the department posted a series of updates on X stating in part, "While we understand people want answers, this is an incredibly complicated investigation that will take weeks, not days, to complete."
We would like to update the community on the series of crashes on I-70 yesterday morning that resulted in three deaths.
— Wheat Ridge Police (@WheatRidgePD) August 16, 2024
The three people taken to the hospital in the aftermath of this event have been treated and released. pic.twitter.com/bhkuYbBANV
Data Denver7 Investigates obtained from Colorado State Patrol (CSP) revealed the agency investigated three crashes on I-70 within one mile of the Ward Road exit since February 2023, when construction began. The area is in Wheat Ridge's jurisdiction, so Wheat Ridge police would handle most of the crashes along this stretch of I-70.
Denver7 Investigates reached out to the trucking company believed to own the semi-truck involved in the crash and is waiting to hear back.
