Colorado State Patrol says speeding contributes to crashes, closures on I-70

"I feel the need. The need, for a lack of speed."

That's not the real quote, but it's pretty much what Colorado State Patrol is saying right now. That's after the third semi-truck crash in Glenwood Canyon in two weeks that closed at least one lane of the interstate for at least a few hours (a lot of qualifiers we know). 

Colorado State Patrol Master Trooper Gary Cutler admits weather could have an impact on the crashes we've seen, but the larger issue is speeding. 

"We have dedicated patrols as of last week to try and curb this increase in crashes," Master Trooper Cutler said. "It's not just semi-crashes but other vehicles too. We always have people that are going way too fast in that canyon."

So much so, the Colorado Department of Transportation has also lowered the speed limit in the last week to try and compensate for the speeders who are causing wrecks that the entire state then watches as I-70 shuts down once again. As for truck drivers, Cutler said he can't speak for why they're trying to go so quickly, but whatever the reason, they're ending up with a slower trip time because of the crashes. 

"It's a business and a lot of the time they get paid for the miles they do," Cutler said. "So, they're trying to get as many miles under their belt as they can, but they still have the responsibility to do that safely."

Another part of the problem is the difficulty in retrieving and removing these semi-trucks, especially when they careen over the side of one lane into the other. 

"A lot of times we have to unload," Cutler said, referencing whatever the semi-trucks are carrying. "If they go over one of the railings onto the other side of the interstate, then sometimes we've had to bring in cranes or big heavy equipment."

In addition to the crash that led to a closure on eastbound I-70 on Thursday afternoon, there was a semi-truck crash in Glenwood Canyon on Wednesday night. That's right, two in less than 24 hours. Then, there was another one on Jan. 30. 

"There's a speed limit there for the reason because that's what's safe in that canyon and they need to be doing that," Cutler said. 

As for the adjusted speed limit, CSP told CBS Colorado Mountain Newsroom Reporter Spencer Wilson that's up to CDOT on whether or not it will change back to higher speeds, but at this point, they didn't expect it to happen any time soon, if ever.