Two dead, one injured in separate crashes on Interstate 25 in Pueblo Monday

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - Police are investigating whether the traffic backup from an early Monday morning fatal accident on southbound I-25, may have caused a second deadly crash in the same area.

Both crashes happened between the Abriendo and Minnequa avenue exits on the city's south side.

The first crash was reported to police at around 3:30 a.m.; officers responded to find a man dead in the middle of the freeway and the moped he apparently had been riding.

"That's all we know so far and we're still trying to find out more about how he ended up there," said police Sgt. Franklyn Ortega.

Then, as authorities were clearing the scene at around 9 a.m., they responded to the second crash in which a pickup truck drove into the back of a stopped semi-trailer.

Police said that a girl, a passenger in the truck, died at the scene and the driver was taken to a hospital; the semi driver didn't appear to be injured.

The crashes made for a hectic morning as authorities closed the affected stretch of I-25 and drivers detoured through neighborhood streets to get around it.

"There's a lot involved with closing down the highway," Ortega explained. "Luckily, we have some relief points where we can divert traffic in the city, but there's some -- like right here, this is kind of a bad spot with the curves and stuff."

Authorities have yet to release the names of the crash victims and the investigation continues; I-25 reopened to traffic just before 12:30 p.m.