Crash causes rock slide on I-70 in Colorado's mountains, 1 rushed to hospital

Crash causes rock slide on I-70 near Idaho Springs

One person was rushed to the hospital after a rock slide in the westbound lanes of I-70 near Fall River Road on Thursday morning. According to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office, the rock slide happened at mile marker 236 just before 6:30 a.m. and was caused by a single-vehicle crash.

One vehicle crashed, causing the rock slide, sending rocks onto the roadway, resulting in blown tires for several other vehicles. A total of five vehicles were damaged due to the rocks. 

CDOT

Westbound traffic was at a standstill for a while. According to the sheriff's office, the Colorado State Patrol is investigating and Colorado Department of Transportation crews cleared off the rocks. 

According to CDOT, the rocks were a handful of "roughly softball to basketball-sized rocks" that rolled onto the roadway off a fairly steep-sided rockface near mile marker 236. 

CDOT said in a statement, "Rockfalls aren't a common occurrence in this area, but when they do, they usually stop short of the roadway."

The roadway reopened at 7 a.m., but the shoulder remained closed. 

The person injured in the rock slide suffered non-life threatening injuries. 

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