Colorado State Patrol says four state trooper vehicles struck in three days

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Colorado State Patrol says four different state patrol vehicles have been struck in three days in numerous accidents.

CSP says that drivers struggled to adjust their speed, causing numerous traffic accidents.

The first was on Valentine's Day, February 14th, at around 7:15 p.m. When a driver did not have their headlights on, a State Trooper attempted to pull the vehicle over on Southbound I-25 near the Academy scenic overlook, only to have the driver spin out and strike their vehicle. They were taken to the hospital for unknown injuries and charged with DUI and other charges. The trooper was uninjured.

Another accident happened just a day later on Saturday morning around Eastbound I-70 between Rifle and Glenwood Springs. A driver rear-ended the State Trooper's vehicle while the trooper was attempting to block traffic for a previous crash. No one was injured, but the highway was closed for an hour.

On Sunday, at 1:36 in the morning, a State Trooper was attempting to assist another driver and had set out cones when a Semi truck struck the outside of the patrol vehicle. No one was injured. On the same day, a three-car pileup near the Palmer Divide happened when a Trooper was working on multiple crashes and preparing for a safety shut-down due to poor visibility and icy road conditions. The trooper had just left his car when one car struck another, ramming into the Trooper's vehicle.

"When you drive you are responsible for adjusting your speed and space between vehicles based on real-time conditions," stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Emergency responders, and tow truck drivers are out there in miserable conditions, to keep our roadway users safe and get traffic flowing. When you drive, you have their lives in your hands. Drive accordingly - slow down and move over."