US 24 reopens after ‘safety concerns’ when semi truck blocks roadway amid whiteout conditions in Falcon

EL PASO COUNTY,, Colo. (KRDO) – US 24 reopened in both directions west of Woodmen Road because of "safety concerns" after a crash involving a semi blocked both lanes of the highway early Tuesday morning, a Colorado State Patrol trooper told our crews on scene.

That part of the highway reopened just before 9:30 a.m.; as of noon Tuesday, the highway remained closed in both directions east of Woodmen to Limon.

Trooper Jonathan Kay said that the closure happened around 3 a.m. after the truck driver experienced poor visibility in whiteout conditions.

"When we got on scene, the cab of the truck was off the east side of the roadway. The driver was uninjured," Kay said.

At 8:45 a.m., the crashed semi was towed from the scene.

Kay said that at 2 a.m., troopers began responding to "numerous" reports of crashes on US 24 between Falcon Highway and Meridian Road.

"The first call was for a vehicle off the roadway," he said. "We assisted that driver and got him to safety. The second crash was actually a vehicle that ran out of gas. Dealing with that, we got the call about the semi crash."

There was little or no snow west of Constitution, but winds remained very strong through the morning as skies cleared.

One driver hit a closure gate, apparently not seeing the closure.

"Maybe with the sun's angle, they didn't see it," said John Hall, a Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) official who was manning the gates. "But people are going too fast and not paying attention. They need to slow down. One of the crashes happened while I was standing outside my vehicle."

More snow accumulated north of the highway along Woodmen and Meridian roads, slowing traffic and creating occasional whiteout conditions.

CDOT's CO Trip map shows that US 24 between Woodmen and Limon has reopened.