I-70 westbound near Deer Trail reopens after semi-crash

The westbound lanes of Interstate 70 east of Denver were closed for most of the afternoon on Wednesday due to a crash involving a semi-truck. Colorado State Patrol says the driver had to be airlifted to a hospital, and a diesel fuel leak required a hazmat team to clean up the area.

The crash was reported around 12:40 p.m. and the interstate was back open after nightfall.

A photo from CSP shows the truck up against the guardrail, but still on its wheels. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Windy conditions on Wednesday forced several highway closures and wind alerts in northern and southern Colorado along the Interstate 25 corridor, the mountains, just west of the Front Range, and throughout the Eastern Plains, according to alerts from the Colorado Department of Transportation.

Hurricane-force winds, like those experienced in Colorado on Wednesday, pose a particular risk to semi-trucks and other vehicles with a high center of gravity.

Deer Trail is about 55 miles east of Denver along I-70.