A luxury passenger train slammed into an oil tanker near Rifle on Wednesday morning, closing U.S. Highway 6 and spilling 6,000 gallons of oil.
The crash near Mile Pond Road occurred about 9:40 a.m., causing minor injuries to the driver of the semi that was struck and derailing six passenger cars and two engines, according to the Colorado State Patrol. The truck driver was taken to a hospital for treatment.
U.S. Highway 6 was closed in both directions while emergency vehicles tended to the crash. The closure is between Mile Pond Road and Peterson Lane at mile point 94.5, the Colorado Department of Transportation said.
Photos provided by the sheriff’s office show a mangled tanker with oil spilling from the shoulder onto the asphalt of the highway.
Drivers were asked to use an alternate route.
No injuries were reported on the train, which is from the Canyon Spirit line, a company spokesperson said. The luxury train runs from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Denver, with stops in Moab, Utah, and Grand Junction.
Dallas Carlson, a spokesperson for Canyon Spirit, said guests were removed from the train and are traveling by motor coach to Moab, the train’s original destination.
“Emergency services are on site, and we are working with the authorities,” Carlson said. “Our thoughts are with everyone involved.”
This is a developing story that may be updated.
