One dead, 5 injured in fiery fatal crash on I-70 near Utah border

MESA COUNTY, Colo. (KREX) - One person is dead, while several others were injured, in a fiery head-on crash Monday on U.S. Interstate 70 near the Utah border. According to the Colorado State Patrol, it responded around 11:36 a.m. to a REDDI report involving a driver in a gray sedan traveling at a high rate of speed eastbound in the westbound lanes on the interstate. The car had passed Rabbit Valley, just west of Loma. About five minutes later, CSP reported a head-on crash involving a tan Subaru Outback and a white Ford F150 on I-70 at milepost 4. The Outback had become engulfed in flames, but was later extinguished. The driver of the Subaru was pronounced dead on the scene. The identity of the driver will be released by the Mesa County Coroner's Office once the next of kin has been notified, according to state patrol. The preliminary investigation indicates that there were at least 5 occupants in the F150. All of the occupants, including two children, were transported to a nearby hospital. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time. CSP stated there were also reports of a trapped party, but it is unknown at this moment which car that individual was in. Westbound U.S. Interstate 70 is closed near milepost 4. It is unknown when the roadway will reopen, according to CSP. Traffic is being diverted onto Highway 6/Highway 139 at mile marker 15. The CSP Vehicular Crimes Unit is leading the investigation into the crash. Lower Valley Fire District and the Colorado Department of Transportation also responded to the collision.