COLORADO — According to the Colorado State Patrol, four state troopers have been hit in the span of one weekend.
The first accident occurred on Friday, February 14, at 7:15 p.m., when a state trooper attempted to "contact a driver on Southbound I-25 near the academy scenic overlook" in Colorado Springs for not using their headlights.
When the driver attempted to pull over, her car hit the end cap of a guardrail, and her car spun back onto the interstate, hitting the Patrol car. She was taken to a local hospital and later arrested for DUI and careless driving.
On Saturday, February 15, at 9:03 a.m., a Colorado State Patrol car was hit from behind when it was stopped blocking the left lane of eastbound I-70 for a previous crash. The trooper and the driver who hit the patrol car were not injured.
On Sunday, February 16, two separate state troopers were hit.
The first incident happened at 1:36 a.m. when a trooper was blocking a right-hand lane on I-25 with their lights activated. The trooper was actively setting up traffic cones to warn traffic when a semi-truck hit the side of the patrol car. No injuries were reported.
Later that morning, at 7:05 a.m., one trooper was attempting to set up a safety closure at Northbound I-25 and East Palmer Divide Ave. due to multiple crashes, poor visibility, and icy road conditions.
The patrol car was on the right shoulder with the lights activated when two cars approached behind the patrol car. According to the state patrol, "the trooper had just left his vehicle when two vehicles were approaching the scene. The first vehicle was struck from the second vehicle behind it striking into the Patrol cruiser."
There weren't any injuries reported from this accident.
CSP says that these accidents were caused by drivers struggling to "adjust their driving behavior and reduce their speed."
"When you drive you are responsible for adjusting your speed and space between vehicles based on real-time conditions."
"Emergency responders, tow truck drivers are out there in miserable conditions, to keep our roadway users safe and get traffic flowing. When you drive, you have their lives in your hands. Drive accordingly - slow down and move over."
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