DENVER – An 18-year-old woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash that started with her vehicle hitting an elk on Interstate 25 near Happy Canyon Road early Monday morning, and nine others were injured.
The crash happened shortly before 1 a.m. Monday on southbound I-25 and involved five cars in total, according to Colorado State Patrol.
The initial crash happened when a 21-year-old man from Minnesota driving a Chevrolet SUV, with the 18-year-old woman in the passenger seat, hit an elk on the interstate.
9 people were transported to area hospitals this morning after a multi-vehicle crash. Sadly, there was one additional fatality on-scene. @CSP_News is handling the investigation. Avoid this area as the investigation will be extended. pic.twitter.com/Tniq4y2vMH
— South Metro Fire Rescue (@SouthMetroPIO) June 7, 2021
The driver pulled over and a Good Samaritan, a 21-year-old man from Colorado Springs, pulled over to assist. All three were standing outside of the SUV when a Toyota SUV came by and hit the elk that was lying in the first lane of traffic.
That collision caused the Toyota – driven by a 70-year-old man from Thornton, with a 69-year-old woman in the passenger seat – to hit the Chevy SUV and the three people standing outside of it, according to Colorado State Patrol.
They were all thrown over the concrete barrier dividing the directions of traffic into the northbound lanes, and the 18-year-old woman died at the scene, CSP said.
After the Toyota SUV hit the other SUV, it went back into traffic, where a Dodge sedan collided with it. The Dodge was then hit by a Kia sedan. The Good Samaritan’s vehicle was not struck.
CSP said the 70-year-old man driving the Toyota SUV suffered serious injuries and the 69-year-old passenger suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash.
Inside the Dodge were four people from Santa Fe, New Mexico, CSP said. The 30-year-old male driver suffered serious injuries, a 30-year-old passenger was injured, a 10-year-old girl was seriously injured, and a 10-year-old boy inside was not injured.
A 31-year-old woman driving the Kida suffered minor injuries. The Good Samaritan and 21-eyar-old driver of the Chevy SUV both were transported to hospitals.
A GoFundMe page for the 18-year-old victim, identified by the coroner as Kendra Durnan of Buffalo, Minn., was started on Monday. CSP said drugs, alcohol and speed are not considered as factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.
The highway reopened in full just after 7 a.m. Monday.