A single vehicle crash on Highway 6 in Mesa County killed three people Wednesday morning, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The victims include two roadway workers with the Colorado Department of Transportation and one occupant of the vehicle that hit them. All three died at the scene.
One other person from the vehicle is hospitalized, and authorities have not released information about their condition.
“Initial investigations show the crash involved a Jeep Grand Cherokee that struck two CDOT employees working outside of their vehicle and then a parked CDOT vehicle, causing the Jeep to roll,” according to a CSP statement.
Both sides of the highway are shut down from 35 Road to 34 Road. as of 12:30 p.m. There is no timetable for its reopening, though CSP said drivers should expect an extended closure.
CDOT said on April 15, its annual Remembrance Day, that 62 of its employees have died on the job since 1929. The pair killed Wednesday raises that figure to 64.
"While highway workers are at great risk every day, it is just as critical for motorists to be safe and responsible in work zones," said a CDOT statement marking the April memorial event. "In fact, four out of five work zone fatalities are people driving through work zones, not highway workers."
There were 15 crashes in Colorado work zones in 2023, according to the agency. Those incidents killed 16 people.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
