‘Brown Out’ Blamed for 30-Vehicle Crash in Colorado
Emergency personnel work the scene of a crash involving 30-plus vehicles including six semi trucks on Interstate 25 south of Pueblo, Colorado, on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026. (Christian Murdock/The Gazette via AP)
Four people died Tuesday in a series of crashes involving more than 30 vehicles—including six semitrailers—on Interstate 25 near Pueblo, Colorado, after blowing dirt severely reduced visibility, authorities said.
Maj. Brian Lyons of the Colorado State Patrol said the dirt, whipped up by strong winds, created a “brown out” on the highway around 10 a.m. “Visibility was next to nothing,” he said. Crashes occurred on both the northbound and southbound lanes.
Twenty-nine people were hospitalized with injuries ranging from minor to severe, Lyons added. In one northbound crash, four goats in a trailer were killed, according to the Colorado Sun.
The exact cause of the accidents, which happened about two miles south of Pueblo, remains under investigation. Trooper Sherri Mendez, a Colorado State Patrol spokesperson, said investigators will consider the reduced visibility as a factor, though other causes may also be involved.
Tuesday brought extreme weather across Colorado. Strong winds and dry, warm conditions in the eastern part of the state increased wildfire risks and caused flight delays at Denver International Airport, the AP reports. Meanwhile, the western part of Colorado saw snow, providing much-needed relief to mountain areas.
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