Culture|Garage

Vail, Colo.- Spring is upon Colorado, a state known for beautiful mountain vistas, and legendary late-season snowstorms. Earlier today a semi-truck jackknifed in the Westbound lanes at Vail Pass, effectively blocking both directions of Interstate 70. The culprit? Snow.

For most residents of Colorado, March is a month full of the white stuff, a time to plan ahead for road trips. Although this March has been somewhat dry for the state, the month seems to have gone out with a bang, a screech and a crunch. An astounding 70-car pileup has left at least one driver dead, several injured, and many more stranded. The Colorado State Patrol says that the cause of the accident was some sort of collision between a semi and another vehicle after the semi had jackknifed, a situation exacerbated by the weather. In addition to the first accident, a second wreck occurred in the Eastbound lanes. Due to the sheer scale of the situation, emergency vehicles had to use both sides of the roadway to secure and transport the injured- thus leaving motorists stranded.

At least one chapel is offering stranded drivers overnight shelter, while a couple of hotels have offered reduced rates to those who need them. The Colorado Department of Transportation had put chain-law restrictions into effect in hopes of staving off accidents related to the conditions, however it is not clear whether or not the vehicles involved were using snow chains. VIDEO HERE

via: Rocky Mountain News, The Denver Post, MyFox Colorado

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