A quiet stretch of E. 120th Avenue north of Denver International Airport turned into a fatal crash scene Sunday afternoon, leaving two people dead and four others injured and shutting down the road for hours, according to the Colorado State Patrol.
The crash involved two pickup trucks on the rural corridor near Powhaton Road. Troopers and emergency crews swarmed the area, closed the roadway in both directions, and urged drivers to steer clear while they worked the scene.
According to CBS News Colorado, the collision happened around 2:49 p.m. and resulted in two fatalities at the scene. Four other people were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Authorities asked motorists to use alternate routes and did not immediately say when E. 120th Avenue would reopen.
Where it happened
E. 120th Avenue runs along the north side of Denver International Airport, cutting through a mix of farmland, industrial sites, and fast-growing new development east of Commerce City. A 2025 Adams County safety and multimodal corridor study flagged crash clusters along portions of 120th and suggested intersection and roadway upgrades meant to cut down on collisions, according to Adams County.
Emergency response and traffic
First responders shut down the roadway while medical crews treated the injured and investigators documented the wreckage. Drivers in the northeast metro area encountered detours and slowdowns on nearby routes as the closure stretched on.
CBS News Colorado reported that multiple agencies assisted on scene while the Colorado State Patrol began piecing together what led up to the deadly impact. Motorists were warned to expect lingering traffic impacts as the investigation continues.
The Colorado State Patrol is leading the investigation and has not yet released the names of those involved. For media or public inquiries, contact information for troopers and the agency's public information officers is listed on the Colorado State Patrol public affairs page.
