‘Nothing left’ of runaway semitruck after fire on I-70

Shaul Turner
·2 min read
16

SILVERTHORNE, Colo. (KDVR) — Drivers traveling along westbound Interstate 70 on Tuesday saw a perilous scene when a semitruck was destroyed by flames on a runaway ramp.

The two occupants survived the crash without injuries. Colorado State Patrol told FOX31 that the fire happened on the lower ramp in the westbound lane, near the Eisenhower Tunnel.

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Charlie Stubblefield of Mountain Recovery arrived within minutes, helping the truck drivers inside.

“I could just see the black smoke,” Stubblefield told FOX31.

‘There was nothing left of it’

Mountain Recovery tried to keep the fire from spreading to the rest of the truck, but it was already out of control.

“It was to the ground. There was nothing left of it,” Stubblefield said.

While working to help the survivors, Stubblefield and his team faced another danger. The highway had not yet been closed, and traffic was heavy.

“It gets really scary. It’s the kind of thing where your head’s always on a swivel,” Stubblefield said.

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Crews had to watch for any warning that other truck drivers were experiencing emergencies.

“There’s a high probability that another truck could have brake failure coming down the mountain while we’re working,” Stubblefield said.

Chassis of a semi truck that was destroyed by fire on I-70
Chassis of a semi truck that was destroyed by fire on I-70

How often are semis on I-70 runaway ramps?

Mountain Recovery is called to more than 30 incidents annually where trucks use runaway ramps between Vail and the Eisenhower Tunnel.

“When their brakes go out, they can’t stop anymore, and they need to stop. We need them to go onto that emergency truck ramp,” Stubblefield said.

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Stubblefield told FOX31 that after years of doing his job, this is one of the more bizarre situations he has seen.

“It takes them going all the way down before we see trucks fully engulfed in flames. That’s a first for me,” he said.

CSP told FOX31 that the westbound lanes of I-70 were closed for three hours.

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