A truck driver was arrested and charged with four counts of vehicular homicide after authorities say he was responsible for starting a 28-vehicle pile-up on I-70 near Denver. Rogel Lazaro Aguilera-Mederos was hauling lumber when his flatbed truck crashed into stalled traffic on Thursday (April 25), sparking a fiery crash involving 24 cars and three other semi-trucks.
Four people were killed in the crash and six people were taken to the hospital. A firefighter was also injured when he was hit by debris from an exploding tire.
The massive fire damaged the roadway and a bridge and officials say the highway may not reopen until Saturday. In addition to the spilled lumber, they also had to clean up diesel fuel that spilled on the roadway. It took nearly five hours before investigators were able to access the crash site due to the flames.
"The carnage was significant — just unbelievable," said Lakewood Police Department Agent Ty Countryman.
Police say that there is no evidence that Aguilera-Mederos was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. Investigators are trying to determine if there were mechanical issues with the truck, and said that Aguilera-Mederos is cooperating with authorities.