Crash Involving Wrong-Way Driver On I-70 Kills 3 On Christmas
AURORA, Colo. (CBS4) -- Three people died after an 86-year-old man drove the wrong way on Interstate 70 and crashed head-on into another vehicle.
The crash happened on eastbound I-70 near Tower Road in Aurora at about 7:15 p.m. on Christmas.
The 86-year-old man has been identified as Gerald Arnett from Wheat Ridge.
Arnett was driving westbound on the eastbound side of the highway, according to Trooper Josh Lewis with the Colorado State Patrol. It's not clear why or or how he ended up driving the wrong way on the highway.
He died in the crash, along with 96-year-old Betty Arnett, who was with him in the Dodge Caravan, Trooper Lewis confirmed. She was also from Wheat Ridge.
The Caravan crashed head-on into a Dodge pickup.
Katie Paul, 24, from Strasburg was riding in the pickup and was killed in the crash.
Kyle Parker, 24, also from Strasburg, was driving the truck. He was taken to University Hospital and with serious injuries, Lewis said. Tuesday evening, CBS4 learned Parker's condition had improved to fair.
The crash shut down the eastbound lanes at Tower for several hours.