Colorado Dust Storm Causes Deadly 36-Vehicle Crash

Five people have died and 29 more are injured as a result of a massive pileup involving 36 vehicles, Colorado State Patrol confirmed. High winds and an unseasonably warm and dry winter caused "brown out" low visibility conditions for motorists on Northbound Interstate 25 outside of Pueblo, Colorado on Tuesday night, reports the Colorado Sun. Seven semi trucks and over two dozen passenger cars went headlong into a dust storm with practically zero visibility. Having been caught up in dust storms in the high desert before, they can come on quicker than you can respond sometimes, and be gone before you know it. 

Colorado governor Jared Polis has urged Coloradans in a tweet "to prioritize safety and avoid travel when winds are high or visibility is low." High wind warnings were issued by the National Weather Service on Tuesday, and the warning has been extended through Wednesday evening. This, unfortunately, seems like a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. As the global climate continues to get more extreme, more of these dust storms will occur. 

My thoughts are with the families and loved ones affected by the tragic crash on I-25 south of Pueblo.

I'm grateful to the Colorado State Patrol and first responders who worked quickly in dangerous conditions. This incident is a reminder of how hazardous travel can become during... pic.twitter.com/1Xm3LpvdGw

— Governor Jared Polis (@GovofCO) February 18, 2026

In addition to the loss of human lives, Colorado Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region issued a statement noting a trailer hauling 30 sheep and one goat was also involved in the crash, with four sheep injured too severely to survive the crash. Colorado Animal Law Enforcement officers wrangled the loose sheep running along the interstate, and freed the remaining animals trapped in the mangled trailer, before returning them to their owner. 

Colorado State Patrol confirmed all of the major injuries and fatalities were restricted to the Northbound lanes. Further crashes did occur in the southbound lanes, but only property damage resulted. Among the 29 people brought to hospitals in the region, one is in critical condition, seven suffered severe injury, and 21 others were treated for minor to moderate injuries and released. While visibility is blamed for causing the crash, the cause of the initial impact that led to the chain reaction has not yet been identified, and is still under investigation. 

The crash was attended to by more than 50 responders from 23 different agencies. 

If you are confronted with a zero visibility event on the highway, your best course of action is always to reduce speed but don't stop, kick on your flashers, try to increase your follow distance to the car in front of you, and exit the interstate as quickly as you can. Obviously it doesn't seem like any of that advice would really have helped in this situation. Try to slow down on the highway, and leave larger gaps between cars even when your visibility is perfect, and hopefully it'll give you enough time to react to situations like this.