The driver a pickup truck hauling a trailer was seriously injured Wednesday afternoon after he slammed into the back of a semitrailer on U.S. Highway 491, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The crash occurred about 3:40 p.m. at mile marker 29.5 just north of County Road M.
The highway was closed for more than an hour as the crash was investigated and vehicles and debris removed.
The southbound semitrailer with an empty flatbed was making a left turn into a business when it was hit from behind by a southbound truck hauling a trailer, said Trooper James Proctor.
The pickup truck was heavily damaged, and its air bags deployed.
The male driver of the pickup truck was transported to Southwest Memorial Hospital with serious injuries, Proctor said. There were no passengers. The driver of the semi-trailer was uninjured.
Witnesses said they heard a tremendous bang. The crash is under investigation, Proctor said.
Northbound traffic was stopped and detoured temporarily at Road M, and backed-up southbound traffic was diverted onto County Road N.
Multiple agencies responded to the crash, including the Colorado State Patrol, Lewis-Arriola Fire Department, Cortez Fire Protection District, Montezuma County Sheriff’s Office, Southwest Health System ambulance and Colorado Department of Transportation.
