Local News

Denver police arrest Morgan Hefley in deadly wrong-way I-25 crash

By CBSColorado.com Staff

Updated on: September 18, 2023 / 6:40 PM MDT / CBS Colorado

Police in Denver have arrested a woman accused in a deadly wrong-way crash on I-25. The crash happened early Saturday morning in the northbound lanes of I-25 south of Colfax Avenue at 8th Avenue.

Morgan Hefley Denver Police

Detectives said that Morgan Hefley, 23, was driving southbound in the northbound lanes about 2:35 a.m. Sept. 16 when she crashed head-on into another vehicle, killing the driver. The passenger in that vehicle was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries.

The family has identified the driver killed in the crash as Lorenzo Antonio Escobedo Acosta.

The crash caused backups in the area due to the hours-long closure on I-25 during the investigation and crash cleanup.

Northbound traffic on Interstate 25 is diverted off the highway at the 6th Avenue exit Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. I-25 was closed for more than four hours following a fatal crash allegedly caused by a wrong-way driver. The highway re-opened shortly after 7 a.m. Colorado Department of Transportation

Hefley was also injured in the crash. She remains in police custody for investigation of vehicular homicide.

While officers were investigating the deadly wrong-way crash, another driver struck an officer's vehicle at the scene. That officer was transported to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. That driver, Paul Espinoza, 32, was arrested for investigation of DUI.

CBSColorado.com Staff

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