WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — A driver was cited for careless driving following a crash Tuesday morning in the eastbound lanes of Interstate 70 that injured two roadside workers who were working on the bridge replacement project over Ward Road.
Wheat Ridge Police said the workers' injuries are serious but not considered to be life-threatening. The crash happened about 11:20 a.m., police said.
According to police, the driver of a white pickup veered off the left side of the interstate near Ward Road.
"That driver makes a split decision and kind of veers left, crashes into the attenuator. The attenuator is designed to basically kind of be a buffer for these roadside crews," said Wheat Ridge Police spokesman Alex Rose. "So there’s impact on the attenuator, and then that driver's car continues to carry, and then unfortunately two roadside workers who are just standing right by their pickup truck when this happened."
The Colorado Department of Transportation said the workers, who were in the process of setting up signage, were contractors and did not work directly for them. CDOT said that at the time of the crash, the left lane was closed to protect the work zone.
Police are still looking into whether excessive speed was a factor, but they don't believe drugs or alcohol were involved.
Several lanes of eastbound I-70 were closed for the investigation. Traffic cameras in the area showed a backup. The interstate fully reopened about 1 p.m.
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