The 23-year-old semi-truck driver was heading down a hill when he slammed into traffic that had slowed due to a previous crash ahead of him, officials said.
The collision in the Denver suburb of Lakewood started a chain reaction and a diesel fuel spill, Countryman earlier told the Denver Post. The fire was said to be so intense that it melted the roadway and the metal off cars.
“This is looking to be one of the worst accidents we’ve had here in Lakewood,” he said.