Leslie Maddox was on her way from work when the crash that involved 28 vehicles occurred. She credits two passersby with saving her life. A woman who was injured Thursday during a fiery crash on Interstate 70 credits two people with saving her life. Four people were killed and at least six were injured in that crash, which occurred in the eastbound lanes of I-70 near the 20th Avenue/Denver West interchange. Four semi-trucks and 24 passenger vehicles were involved. "I'm lucky to be alive," said Leslie Maddox, speaking from St. Anthony Hospital in Lakewood. Maddox was stuck in traffic after leaving her job at Red Rocks Community College. She said people ran toward the fire to help others escape. She said the noise from the crash sounded "like a bomb went off." Red Rocks Community College student Meleia Harsh and a man Maddox knew as "Lloyd" helped pull her from her car. Her right arm and nose were broken. "I just feel sorry for the other people. This is horrific," she said. The semi-truck driver, who Lakewood police said caused the fiery crash, was identified as Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23, of Houston, Texas.<doc-sep>Lakewood, COLO. (CBS4) – At least four people are dead after a crash involving at least 28 vehicles on I-70 at Denver Park West Thursday afternoon. Westbound lanes of I-70 reopened on Friday afternoon. The victims have not been identified. A semi driver, identified by Lakewood police as Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, is facing four counts of vehicular homicide related to the accident. Westbound lanes of I-70 reopened at 2 p.m. Friday. Engineers assessed the overpass and determined that it was in good shape and worthy of cars driving under it. The four people who died were each the single-occupant in their car. “We’re still trying to identify what some of the cars even are,” said Ty Countryman with the Lakewood Police Department. Aguilera-Mederos was hurt in the crash on Thursday afternoon, but not seriously. Ten other people were rushed to Saint Anthony Hospital. As of Friday morning, all of them had been released but one. He is in good condition, according to hospital officials. Firefighters did not get the fire completely extinguished until around 10 p.m. and that’s when traffic investigators finally started their work. That’s when the number of fatalities started going up. Agent Ty Countryman with Lakewood Police explained that’s when they could clear the debris from the semis and the cars they could see. Investigators then found more cars under the semis. Twenty-four cars and four semis were involved in the deadly crash. Countryman says the approximate cause of the crash is the semi driver who was hauling a load of 2×4 lumber. “I can’t go into the facts, it’s still evidence we’re building. We feel at this time we have enough probable cause to charge vehicular homicide.” Countryman did say at this time drugs and alcohol do not seem to be involved. A mechanical inspection will be done on the semi but the amount of heat from the damage may make that inspection incomplete. “There’s evidence of witnesses and video and things like that as opposed to mechanical evidence,” he said. Countryman did clarify, “We don’t have any indication that was an intentional act by the driver at all.” Investigators worked to remove the wreckage of burned cars and semis on Friday morning. Once those vehicles were removed westbound lanes were reopened. Before the highway can reopen in both directions, CDOT will have to remove the top layers of pavement and replace it. CDOT says it is anticipating having to mill out asphalt then re-pave the stretch of I-70 burned in the accident. Drivers are urged to avoid the area during the closures. Eastbound I-70 detour:<doc-sep>Lakewood police on Friday arrested a 23-year-old semitrailer driver in connection with a fiery, chain-reaction collision on Interstate 70 that involved 28 vehicles, killed at least four people and closed a section of the interstate for more than 24 hours. Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, of Texas, is being held in the Jefferson County Jail for investigation of vehicular homicide, the Lakewood Police Department said. He was taken into custody after being treated for minor injuries. He will appear Saturday afternoon in Jefferson County Court for an advisement hearing. The Jefferson County coroner confirmed four deaths but did not release identities, genders and ages of the victims. Bodies were burned beyond recognition in the crash, and investigators were having trouble counting victims early Friday, Lakewood police spokesman John Romero said. I-70 crash suspect in custody. Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos (DOB: 11/21/95) arrested for suspicion of multiple counts of Vehicular Homicide. pic.twitter.com/ieUrU2IMoK — Lakewood Police (@LakewoodPDCO) April 26, 2019 Aguilera-Mederos’ truck crashed into backed-up traffic as it barreled down eastbound I-70. The impact triggered a series of explosions after lumber being hauled in Aguilera-Mederos’ truck ignited with gasoline spilled from damaged cars. Six people were taken by West Metro Fire Rescue to hospitals with serious injuries, Lakewood police spokesman Ty Countryman said. Good Samaritans carried other victims to hospitals, police said in a Friday afternoon news release. RELATED: Family of semi driver involved in fiery I-70 crash describes call with him after wreck A West Metro Fire Rescue firefighter was injured when he was hit by debris from an exploding tire, the fire department reported. His injuries were described as minor. The wreck also damaged the interstate’s surface, forcing the Colorado Department of Transportation to make emergency repairs. Lumber from the suspect’s flatbed truck shot across the highway and caught on fire when cars exploded and spilled fuel ignited. Raging flames brought temperatures on the highway’s surface to above 2,500 degrees, melting aluminum and turning pavement into rubble, said Josh Laipply, CDOT’s chief engineer. “I think we lose sight that vehicles are deadly weapons, and we need to be more careful when we are driving,” Laipply said. Traffic had come to a near standstill Thursday afternoon after an earlier crash blocked lanes on eastbound I-70. That crash, which happened near Ward Road at rush hour, involved a school bus and semitrailer. Only minor injuries were reported. Christina Ryan, who was driving from Evergreen to Loveland on Thursday afternoon, described a scene of chaos. The traffic was bumper to bumper, moving about 10 mph, when she heard an explosion behind her sedan. “I look up into my rearview mirror and cars and semis are coming toward me, and everything’s on fire,” she said. The only reason she and her 15-year-old daughter weren’t killed was that a pickup truck behind them was towing a trailer, Ryan said. The semitrailer would have hit their car if it hadn’t come to a stop after running over the flatbed trailer, she said. The man driving the pickup truck escaped without major injuries. Ryan’s car was sideswiped at some point, but she’s not sure who hit her or how they collided. After checking that her daughter wasn’t hurt, she ran back to see if she could help anyone in the burning cars. The fire was already too far out of control to get close, she said. “There was just explosions everywhere and two-by-fours flying and people running everywhere,” she said. Ryan said it was particularly hard for her and the other uninjured drivers to hear that a person had been killed, and that they couldn’t do anything to help. They had to remain on scene until after 10 p.m., because police needed to document the accident and take statements, she said. “It’s devastating to hear that person will never get to go home to their family,” she said. “I’m sad for those families. I’m sad for the truck driver.” Officials opened westbound lanes midafternoon Friday, while the eastbound lanes reopened a few hours later at approximately 8 p.m. Prior to reopening, CDOT crews had to wait for law enforcement to finish its investigation and for bodies to be recovered before starting their work. Officials also needed to assess bridge damage. It was not struck but was scorched by flames from vehicles and spilled diesel fuel. There is no evidence the crash was intentional or that drugs and alcohol were involved, Countryman said. Investigators also will look into whether mechanical problems contributed to the crash. District Attorney Peter Weir’s office will make the final decision about which charges to file. As drivers descend the 6 percent grade into Denver, there are numerous signs warning truck drivers to slow down. Witness statements and video footage will provide perspective about how the crash happened, Countryman said. Thank you very much. Our partners at #LakewoodDPCO will appreciate every piece of information that becomes available. https://t.co/GGTMsr1kVe — Denver Police Dept. (@DenverPolice) April 27, 2019 Lakewood police still want to speak with anyone who has information or videos on Thursday’s crash. Investigators are asking witnesses to call a special tip line at 303-763-6800. Staff writer Kieran Nicholson contributed to this report.<doc-sep>
The crash on Interstate 70 near Colorado Mills Mall involved 28 vehicles. JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colorado — The semi truck driver, who Lakewood police said caused a fiery crash that killed four people, has been taken into custody on four counts of vehicular homicide, according to Lakewood police. A total of 28 vehicles, four semi trucks and 24 passenger vehicles, were involved in the crash on eastbound Interstate 70 at Denver West Parkway in Lakewood. The crash was reported at around 4:50 p.m. Thursday, according to Lakewood Police Department Agent Ty Countryman. He said a semi-truck traveling eastbound collided with multiple cars, and that at some point, a vehicle ignited and the fire spread. Both directions of I-70 between 6th Avenue and Denver West Parkway reopened around 8 p.m. Friday. Due to the nature of the crash, the identities of the deceased and most the injured victims have not been released. "We got to get a count of cars to people and then we can kind of go from there as far as unaccountable and who the drivers were," Countryman said. A total of 10 patients with injuries related to the crash were seen at St. Anthony Hospital, a spokesperson for the hospital said Friday. According to Lakewood police, six civilians were transported by ambulance to the hospital from the scene. Police received reports that additional injured victims were taken to the hospital by good Samaritans. One woman, Leslie Maddox, is still in the hospital, the spokesperson said. She's in good condition. One West Metro firefighter also suffered minor injuries when he was hit by debris, according to the department. It may have been from a tire that exploded. The West Metro Fire Fighters IAFF Local 1309 said in a Facebook post that the injured firefighter was at home, resting comfortably and is expected to return to duty sometime next week. The driver of the semi truck has been identified as Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos, 23, of Houston, Texas, according to Lakewood police. "Those charges are stemming for interviews and evidence that was gathered overnight, " said Lakewood Police Department Agent Ty Countryman. Police do not believe that alcohol or drugs played a role in the crash, and instead said the semi-driver failed to slow down as he approached stopped traffic for some unknown reason. "He [ Aguilera-Mederos] loses control of the vehicle coming down I-70," said Countryman. "He can't stop, doesn't stop, and he ends up colliding with several cars, and, as a result of that, the fire ensues, and we have what everybody saw from the videos." A local YouTuber that goes by the name "Burger Planet" captured the moment a semi sped by him toward where the accident took place. Sky9 video showed piles of lumber on the highway, multiple semi-trucks and at least two SUVs on fire beneath a bridge over I-70. Diesel fuel from at least one of the semi-trucks was on fire, as well as the spilled lumber, according to West Metro Fire PIO Ronda Scholting. Semis, vehicles on fire on I-70 near Colorado Mills 1/16 2/16 3/16 4/16 5/16 6/16 7/16 8/16 9/16 10/16 11/16 12/16 13/16 14/16 15/16 16/16 1 / 16 This fire was just a few miles away from a crash involving a semi-truck and a school bus that snarled the eastbound lanes of the highway at roughly the same time.