A late-night drive on Erie Parkway turned deadly just after midnight when a speeding car slammed into a bridge guardrail, burst into flames and left one teenager dead and another badly hurt, according to local authorities.
Emergency crews arrived to find the vehicle fully engulfed on the bridge. First responders rushed to pull both occupants from the wreck before fire and medical teams took over care. The driver later died at the hospital, while the passenger was transported to a trauma center with serious injuries.
How police say the wreck unfolded
According to KDVR, the Town of Erie Police Department said the vehicle was heading eastbound on Erie Parkway at an extremely high rate of speed before it crossed the median into the westbound lanes and crashed into a guardrail on the bridge. Officers said the car was already fully engulfed in flames when they arrived and that they extricated both occupants before Mountain View Fire Rescue rushed the driver to the hospital.
Victims and the active investigation
KDVR reports the driver - an 18-year-old from Commerce City - was pronounced dead at the hospital. The passenger, also 18 and from Commerce City, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.
"This marks the second serious crash in the same proximity on Erie Parkway this weekend, and our hearts are heavy for everyone impacted," the Town of Erie Police Department wrote in a social media post. Town officials said the investigation is ongoing and are asking anyone who saw what happened to contact police with information.
Speed and crash severity
Speed remains a leading factor in deadly crashes across Colorado, and state officials continue to warn that higher speeds sharply increase the risk of death. The Colorado Department of Transportation notes that hundreds of fatalities each year involve speed as a contributing factor and has repeatedly urged drivers to slow down on highways and local streets alike.
What police are asking
The Town of Erie Police Department says the crash is still under investigation and is asking anyone with information, eyewitness accounts, or dash-cam video to reach out to the department. For official contact details and ongoing updates, check the Town of Erie Police Department's public pages.
