1 person dies in Colorado coal train derailment that still has Interstate 25 shut down north of Pueblo
The driver of a semi truck was killed on Interstate 25 in southern Colorado when a coal train derailed late Sunday afternoon as it was passing over the interstate a few miles north of Pueblo. Interstate 25 remained shut down on Monday morning.
Officials with the Colorado State Patrol said the driver was a 60-year-old man from California whose truck was damaged when the train crashed down onto the roadway at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The BNSF Railway train was passing across an I-25 bridge when the derailment happened about two-and-a-half miles north of the Pueblo city limits. Between six and seven cars got off track and some fell to the northbound lanes of the interstate below, spilling large amounts of coal and destroying the truck. Part of the bridge collapsed.
Many hours after the derailment, crumpled train cars could be seen piled up on top of one another and crews were trying to dig out the large mounds of coal on the roadway. Heavy construction equipment was brought in to help with the effort.
The highway has been closed in both directions ever since the accident. Drivers were getting around the blockage by using Highway 115 and and Highway 50. Commercial vehicles were asked to use Overton Road instead because Highway 115 has lane restrictions for trucks.
A team from the National Transportation Safety Board was set to begin investigating the incident. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a social media post that the U.S. Department of Transportation "staff are en route." No BNSF Railway employees were injured.
Buttigieg said he was in touch with Gov. Jared Polis about the incident.
So far the extent of any other injuries that may have happened in the derailment is unknown.
The Colorado Department of Transportation provided the following details about the I-25 detour that's in place:
Local Traffic Detour Routes:
• Motorists who may be south of Fountain and traveling southbound on I-25 towards the City of Pueblo will be detoured to exit 110 toward Overton Road then toward Jerry Murphy; motorists will then head toward I-25 via westbound Colorado Highway 47.This access route is recommended for local traffic only.
Suggested Through Traffic Detour Routes:
• Southbound: Motorists in the Colorado Springs area traveling southbound are advised to take Colorado Highway 115 toward Penrose and then proceed east on US Highway 50 toward the City of Pueblo.• Northbound: Motorists traveling northbound are advised to exit I-25 at US 50/CO 47 and travel west toward CO 115. Motorists will then head north toward Colorado Springs.
Drivers using CO 115 will encounter a 12-mile long construction project. Motorists should expect temporary driving surfaces and frequent traffic pattern changes. Traffic impacts include:
• One lane is open in each direction
• Reduced speed limit of 45 mph
• Width restriction of 11-feet
Suggested Wide-load Detour Routes:
Vehicles over 11-feet wide should seek alternate highway routes as CO 115 has current width restrictions in place.
• Eastbound: drive east via US 50 or CO 96 to CO 71
• Westbound: drive west on US 50 and then use US 285
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