Snow fell in the middle of October in Colorado, and it led to a string of car accidents. One multi-vehicle wreck occurred close to Golden.
Reports indicate that slick roads posed a major threat, with vehicles sliding out of control and sometimes leaving the roadway entirely. In one accident, a tractor-trailer slid off and people got hurt in the ensuing crash. When a vehicle that heavy loses control, it is very dangerous for everyone else on the road.
Since it is so early in the season for snow, people often forget how to drive safely. The Colorado State Patrol put out a reminder bulletin to try to get their attention as the accidents piled up. “People [are] traveling too fast for conditions,” it read. “Roads are icy in spots with these unseasonably cold temps. Emergency crews are working on clearing the roadway. Slow down and drive careful!”
Part of the problem, according to troopers who were responding to one crash after another, was that the road may simply appear wet to drivers. They may not see the real danger. With the temperatures dropping so low, though, that water froze into a slick bed of ice.
Photos from the scene showed lines of cars in the ditch along these slick roads, some of them facing the wrong way. Vehicles include passenger cars, pickup trucks, buses and much more.
As the winter falls in Colorado, these types of hazards just become more and more common. It is important for people to really understand the risks that they face and all the legal rights they have if they get hurt in a crash.