July 27th, 2010 | 
Author: FRUITA, CO – Four people were injured Sunday, July 25, in a multi vehicle truck accident on a highway in Mesa County, Colorado. The collision, which was started by an out of control Toyota sedan, occurred in the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 70 near the city of Fruita, CO. The accident area is northwest of Grand Junction, CO in the far central west section of the state near the Utah border, about 255 miles west of Denver and about 230 miles southeast of Provo, UT.
Lower Valley firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the truck accident site.
At about 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning 51 year old Steve Easdon of Denver, CO was driving a semi trailer truck east on Interstate 70 in Mesa County near the city of Fruita. The truck driver worked for Cast Trucking based out of Denver, CO, which was the destination of the semi truck.
At the same time a Toyota sedan was driving several cars behind the semi trailer on the interstate. According to witnesses the Toyota sedan had three men in it and had California license plates. Officials have not released the identity of the three men.
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According to a Fruita Police Officer, at around Mile Marker 20 on the interstate the Toyota sedan passed a car that was traveling behind the semi truck. The Toyota passed the other car on the right side and at that point the driver apparently lost control of his vehicle.
The Toyota hit the back rear tire on the driver’s side of the semi truck. The truck driver, Mr. Easdon, told investigators that the sedan hit the 18 wheeler truck about three times before driving into the center dividing median. According to the truck driver, the out of control Toyota sedan slammed into two of the truck’s tires and hit the fuel tank, knocking the cap off.
After the truck accident the Toyota then drove over several lanes of westbound traffic on the interstate before finally coming to a stop. One of the passengers was thrown from the sedan and the driver and the other passenger were trapped in the crushed car.
A westbound van, driven by an unidentified man from South Carolina, swerved to avoid hitting the Toyota sedan and slammed into a second westbound semi trailer truck.
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Lower Valley firefighters and emergency personnel responded to the truck accident site. They used tools to extricate the two trapped men from the Toyota. Once free they treated and stabilized the victims before transporting them to nearby St. Mary’s Hospital. The passenger who was thrown from the car landed in the highway median and was also taken to the hospital.
The driver of the van suffered injuries to his neck in the truck accident and was also taken by ambulance to St. Mary’s Hospital for treatment. The condition of the four men taken to the hospital has not been released at this time.
Mr. Easdon and the driver of the second semi involved in the truck accident were not injured in the multi vehicle crash.
Police shut down all westbound traffic lanes on I-70 while emergency personnel treated the victims and highway crews cleared the debris of the wrecked vehicles off the roadway. Traffic was diverted around the accident scene for about ninety minutes before the lanes were reopened.
At this time investigators have not determined why the Toyota went out of control or if the driver was impaired.
No charges have been brought yet and the truck accident remains under investigation.
For more information about Colorado trucking laws, truck injury causes and victims rights, contact nationwide truck accident lawyers Gordon, Elias & Seely, LLP for expert advice. For a free initial consultation, talk to a CO truck accident lawyer at 800.773.6770.
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