CDOT inspects construction site after semi-truck overturns on I-70, killing three people

WHEAT RIDGE, Colorado – The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) acknowledged Friday that the agency is “reviewing whether additional actions are needed” in a work zone after a tractor-trailer rolled over on Interstate 70 in Wheat Ridge, killing three people.

According to Eric Kellogg, chief of the Wheat Ridge Police Department, the accident occurred around 8:21 a.m. between Ward Road and 32nd Avenue.

The tractor-trailer, which was carrying large, blue plastic pipes, was traveling east on I-70 when it overturned. When it crashed into the road, the pipes broke free from the truck and spilled into the east and westbound lanes of I-70, causing at least three other vehicles to crash, Kellogg said.

Three passengers in one of those vehicles were killed. Family members identified them as Ruben Rodriguez, 33, Juliana Rodriguez Plata, 37, and Juliana's mother, Luz Melba Martinez. Juliana's father, Carlos Joaquin Plata, and the couple's one-year-old son, Daniel “Danny,” were also in the car and were injured in the crash.

The driver of the semi-trailer was also injured, Kellogg said.

CDOT has been working to replace the aging bridge since February 2023. The project is expected to last until October.

“I'm not a civil engineer and I'm sure there's a lot more to it than that, but it just doesn't seem like they're protecting the community there anywhere like they should,” said Ashley Pitman, a Denver7 viewer who wrote an email after the crash expressing concerns about safety in the area.

CDOT said the speed limit in the area will be reduced from 65 to 60 mph during construction. A CDOT spokesperson also confirmed that the project team was aware of another accident that occurred in the work zone, but could not provide further details.

On Friday morning, Denver7 traffic anchor Jayson Luber noticed another semi-truck nearly losing control on the same stretch of road.

“We all know that people drive through there very quickly,” Pitman said.

The Wheat Ridge Police Department's Accident and Traffic Team is investigating the crash. On Friday, the department released a series of updates on X, saying in part: “While we understand people want answers, this is an incredibly complicated investigation that will take weeks, not days.”

Data obtained by Denver7 Investigates from the Colorado State Patrol (CSP) shows that the agency has investigated three crashes on I-70 within a mile of the Ward Road exit since February 2023, when construction began. The area is under Wheat Ridge's jurisdiction, so Wheat Ridge police would handle most crashes on that stretch of I-70.

Denver7 Investigates has contacted the suspected trucking company that owns the semi-trailer involved in the accident and is awaiting a response.