Colorado’s I-25 is partially closed after a coal train derailed off a bridge and killed a semi-truck driver, authorities say
(CNN) — A portion of Colorado’s Interstate 25 has been shut down in both directions after a coal train derailed off a bridge and onto the roadway Sunday afternoon, killing a semi-truck driver, state authorities said.
Crews are working to clear toppled train cars and spilled coal at the the derailment site near the city of Pueblo, which lies about 45 miles south of Colorado Springs, the Colorado State Patrol said.
The train operator, BNSF Railway, said its personnel are assisting in the cleanup.
Images of the scene posted online by the state patrol show at least ten train cars had slid off the tracks and over the side of a bridge and nearby embankment, blanketing the ground with coal. The bridge, which extends over both lanes of the interstate, appears to be partially collapsed with a semi truck crushed underneath it.
The male driver of the truck was killed, state patrol spokesperson Gary Cutler told CNN. No other details on the victim were provided. There were no reported injuries among BNSF crew members, the rail company said.
The interstate closure extends approximately 12 miles beginning at Exit 100B in Pueblo and extending northward to Exit 110, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Both northbound and southbound lanes are closed.
“This will be an extended closure. Drivers heading between Pueblo and Colorado Springs must detour,” the transportation department said in a closure notice.
The National Transportation Safety Board announced it is investigating the incident.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said he has communicated with Colorado Governor Jared Polis about the incident and has been briefed by the Federal Railroad and Federal Highway Administrations. US Department of Transportation staff were headed to the scene Sunday night, he said.
“State & local authorities are leading the immediate emergency response, and we will be ready to help in any way needed to support a swift return to normal use for the highway and rail routes affected,” Buttigieg said.
