1 Killed, 1 Injured in Truck Accident on I-25 near Walsenburg, CO

Huerfano County, CO — February 12, 2025, one person was killed and another one was injured in a truck accident at about 4:50 a.m. on Interstate 25.

Authorities said a semi-truck crashed into the back of a Colorado Department of Transportation snowplow near mile marker 57 on northbound I-25 near Walsenburg.

The truck driver, whose name has not been made public yet, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, authorities said.

The snowplow driver was hospitalized with unspecified injuries, authorities said. That driver’s name has not been released either.

Authorities have not released any additional information about the Huerfano County crash at this time. The accident remains under investigation.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

A crash between a semi-truck and a snowplow raises several important questions, the most obvious being: how did the truck driver not see the plow in time to avoid a collision? Snowplows are large, slow-moving vehicles that are required to use flashing lights and other warning signals to alert drivers. If those signals were functioning properly, why didn’t the truck driver react in time? That’s something that can’t be determined just by looking at the crash scene.

One possibility is visibility. This crash happened early in the morning, likely in low-light conditions. If there was heavy snowfall, fog or other adverse weather, the truck driver’s ability to see the plow may have been reduced. Investigators should check weather conditions at the time of the crash and examine whether the plow’s warning lights and reflectors were functioning as required.

Another factor to consider is speed and following distance. Trucks require significantly more time to slow down than smaller vehicles, especially in winter conditions. The truck’s engine control module (ECM) data should be reviewed to determine how fast it was traveling and whether the driver attempted to brake before impact.

Driver fatigue is also a potential issue. This crash happened before 5 a.m., a time when many long-haul truck drivers are still on the road from overnight hauls. Investigators should look into the truck driver’s hours-of-service logs to see how long they had been driving and whether they were operating within legal limits.

At this point, the cause of the crash remains unclear. But if authorities only focus on the immediate wreckage without examining the truck’s speed, braking, visibility and driver condition, key details may be overlooked. A proper investigation needs to go beyond the crash scene to determine what really happened to cause this accident.