1 Dead, 30 Injured In Massive Pileup On I-25
DENVER (CBS4) – One person was killed and 30 others were injured in a massive pileup on Interstate 25 Saturday morning.
The traffic mess happened at around 10:45 a.m. and investigators believe that icy roads and fog played a part in causing it.
"It was pretty quick. It was pretty fast. I saw red lights, next thing you know I'm under somebody else's car," said driver Carlos Davila.
Davila was one of the lucky drivers that walked away shaken up but unharmed.
"I felt that windshield would have kept caving in if I kept getting hit, so my first reaction was to get out of the car, which was a horrible idea. I got out of the car dazed, and thank God there was a lady right next to me. The window was halfway rolled down, and she said 'Get back in your car! Everybody get back in your car,'" said Davila.
Dozens of crushed cars littered northbound I-25 in the aftermath of three separate pileups between University Boulevard and Broadway.
According to police, a total of 104 cars were involved.
"I couldn't hear a thing until they hit us in the back. I just said hang on. Hang on," said driver Sherry Fowler Kanbeo.
Others like Sean McLaughlin had to walk up the highway salvaging what's left of his family's belongings.
"It just went from great visibility from half a mile up the road to almost nothing down in here," said McLaughlin.
Despite the traffic mess some feel fortunate.
"We were very fortunate. My mother was driving, she did an excellent job. We were behind a tow truck. She was able to maneuver out of the way, but the cars kept coming and sliding into each other," said driver Kimberly Fowler.
Joyce Estes said her family was relieved to hear she was okay after her cell phone dialed her daughter who listened as the chaotic scene played out.
"She heard the lady in the car next to me saying 'you're bleeding.' She had no clue what was going on she only heard that side of it," said Estes
Estes said her car was totaled but she survived with only minor injuries.
"I got the air bag in the face but other than that I'm fine."
Authorities have not identified the driver who was killed.
Cars that were left on the highway were towed to South High School.
