An 18-year-old from Aurora died Sunday after crashing into a semitrailer while driving the wrong way on Interstate 70 near Watkins, according to Colorado State Patrol.
Around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, state patrol troopers responded to reports of a wrong-way driver traveling west in I-70’s eastbound lanes near Watkins, according to a news release from the department.
A trooper driving on the westbound interstate tried to get the driver’s attention with a spotlight, but the Aurora man ignored him and continued to drive opposite eastbound traffic, state patrol officials said.
State patrol officials said the trooper was following the 18-year-old with his emergency lights on from the westbound highway when the Aurora man collided head-on with a semitrailer, dying on impact.
The semitrailer driver was not injured, state patrol officials said.
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The Aurora driver will be identified by the Arapahoe County Coroner’s Office after his family is notified and an autopsy is conducted.
State patrol officials said the 17th Judicial District Critical Incident Response Team is investigating the crash, led by the Westminster Police Department.
This marks the second fatal, wrong-way crash of the weekend.
Another Colorado driver was killed Friday after crossing lanes into oncoming traffic on U.S. 285 near Conifer. Two kids and another driver were also injured in that crash.
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