Highway 85 between E-470 and Colorado Highway 22 reopened after deadly crash
A deadly crash closed the southbound lanes of Highway 85 between E-470 and Colorado Highway 22 for several hours on Friday morning. According to the Colorado Department of Transportation, the crash closed the lanes at mile marker 231 around 6:30 a.m.
In that area, Colorado Highway 22 is also East 124th Avenue in Brighton. Brighton police said that the crash happened about 6:15 a.m. on Highway 85 just south of East 136th Avenue. Investigators said they determined a Chevrolet Truck was traveling northbound on Highway 85 when the driver rear-ended a Toyota SUV also traveling northbound. The impact caused the Toyota to roll off the highway, resting on the east side of the roadway.
The female driver of the Chevy truck died at the scene.
The Chevy truck, along with the debris from the initial crash, traveled onto the southbound lanes of traffic, colliding with several vehicles. A driver from one of those vehicles was rushed to the hospital with minor injuries.
There were backups in the area as drivers tried to navigate around the closure. One lane of northbound Highway 85 was also closed during the investigation. The highway reopened by 11:20 a.m.
Authorities told CBS News Colorado that it is unknown whether drugs or alcohol were factors involved in the crash.