Icy 100-vehicle crash | “You couldn't stop”

A major pileup involving about 100 vehicles left multiple people injured and dozens of drivers stranded early Friday morning as Denver woke up to its first measurable snow of the season.

The multi-vehicle pileup on eastbound at West 6th Ave. and N. Kalamath Street was first reported shortly after 5:30 a.m. Friday to Denver police.

About an hour later, police tweeted both directions of West 6th Ave. had been shut down at N. Kalamath all the way to N. Federal Blvd. “due to several crashes.” Alternate routes were advised.

“I saw the big pile of cars coming right there and then when I tried stop, you just sled – you couldn’t stop. There was not stopping,” said Anthony Mendoza, a driver who was involved in the crash. “You just hit right in front of you, cars [were] hitting us from behind. It was a big mess. It was horrible.”

Mendoza described the road as “slick” by the time he saw the crash in front of him.

“It was more scary (sic) knowing you can’t stop,” he said. “It was just, ‘Oh my God, I’m going to hit something’ and hoping that I don’t hit nobody, so I turned and tried to hit the guard rail so I didn’t try hitting nobody else, but just got pushed more into it.”

Wyatte Cessna also spoke to Denver7 Friday morning about the crash, saying the road was “all one big sheet of black ice” that you couldn’t see.

“I was on my way to work and I come up over the hill on 6th and there was a bunch of cars piled up,” Cessna said. “I tried my best to stop, but it wasn’t working out, [I] slid into a dump truck, got hit like four more times, truck’s gone. My driver’s side door is basically in my seat now. Truck’s gone, it’s crazy. I’m alright though, so I guess everything’s okay.”

Denver police said just before 8 a.m. there were reports of “multiple injuries” but it was not clear how many people were injured – and to what degree – as the scene was still a “very active incident.”

Doug Schepman, a spokesperson with the police department, told Denver7 it sounded like most of the injuries were minor though some may have been serious.

Vehicles that were left abandoned were being towed at Lot C at Empower Field at Mile High, according to police.

Officers were still working to clear a path for drivers stranded on the road by 10 a.m.

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