WELD COUNTY, Colo. — A person has died after they drove around road barricades and were swept away by floodwaters in Weld County Friday morning.
Deputies with the Weld County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a car floating in water in the area of WCR 73 and WCR 16 around 9 a.m.
According to the sheriff's office, the driver went around roadblocks that were stationed to prevent vehicles from entering the dangerous floodwaters in the area. The car was then swept away by the water.
Witnesses at the scene pulled the driver out of the car and performed life-saving measures, but the driver did not survive. The Weld County coroner will release the victim's identity at a later time.
The Keenesburg Police Department responded to help WCSO, but one of their patrol vehicles was washed away by the floodwaters during the rescue. The officer was able to get out of the vehicle and was not injured.
As of Friday evening, the sheriff's office has responded to six vehicles stuck in floodwaters. Deputies have performed six human rescues and five K9 rescues as of Friday evening.
WCSO says drivers have been disregarding the barricades at eastbound WCR 71 and WCR 16. Though the road may be clear, the department says the road is washed out roughly a mile after the barricades.
A deputy is stationed in a vehicle just past the barricade to prevent drivers from going into the water, according to the department. WCSO has also asked CDOT to set hard barriers at the location.
WCSO is urging drivers to stay out of the area and obey traffic barricades. If you see water covering a roadway, turn around, don't drown.
